


And That Was That

by Froggy_HullaABullaLoo



Series: Life On The Skeld With SK41 [1]
Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Among Us (Video Game) - Freeform, Among Us Original Characters, Black (Among Us) - Freeform, Blue (Among Us) - Freeform, Brown (Among Us) - Freeform, Cyan (Among Us) - Freeform, Green (Among Us) - Freeform, How Do I Tag, Lime (Among Us) - Freeform, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Mystery, Mystery Sorta, Orange (Among Us) - Freeform, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Outer Space, Pink (Among Us) - Freeform, Purple (Among Us) - Freeform, Red (Among Us) - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Burn, The Skeld (Among Us), White (Among Us) - Freeform, Yellow (Among Us) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 20,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26562946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Froggy_HullaABullaLoo/pseuds/Froggy_HullaABullaLoo
Summary: C-SK41-9, or Cyan as they'd come to be called, assigned to Communications.Four months ago, they'd been one of thirty-six crewmates. Now, they were one of twelve.Four months ago, Cyan would’ve called the Skeld fun, but then G-SK41-3 was found dead.After that, Homebase disconnects from the Skeld, right as they rapidly approach the tenth universe cluster, where there is nothing but mystery. Who knows what will happen if Homebase never reconnects? Or if Achilles Fax catches up to the Skeld?All things that Cyan didn't like to think about because when they did, they remembered that there still may be an imposter on the Skeld.
Relationships: Black/White (Among Us), Orange/Yellow (Among Us), Pink & Purple (Among Us), Pink/Purple (Among Us)
Series: Life On The Skeld With SK41 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965793
Comments: 76
Kudos: 124





	1. The First Four Months

Three beeps.

 _One_ : Dark eyes read the paper on the desk.

_**Navigation**_  
Assigned to Y-SK41-1: _Yellow_  
_**Shields**_  
Assigned to R-SK41-2: _Red_  
_**Admin**_  
Assigned to G-SK41-3: _Green_  
_**Medbay**_  
Assigned to BU-SK41-4: _Blue_  
_**O2**_  
Assigned to O-SK41-5: _Orange_  
_**Upper Engine**_  
Assigned to PR-SK41-6: _Purple_  
_**Electrical**_  
Assigned to BK-SK41-7: _Black_  
_**Reactor**_  
Assigned to BR-SK41-8: _Brown_  
_**Communications**_  
Assigned to C-SK41-9: _Cyan_  
_**Security**_  
Assigned to PI-SK41-10: _Pink_  
_**Lower Engine**_  
Assigned to L-SK41-11: _Lime_  
_**Weapons**_  
Assigned to W-SK41-12: _White_  
_**Cafeteria**_  
_No assignment_  
_**Storage**_  
_No assignment_  
_**Locker Room**_  
_No assignment_  
_**Cabins**_  
_No assignment_

It was the most recent crew assignment list, written out by Yellow then thrown about the Cabins by Red. Cyan had woken up to the papers on their bed, on the floor as they stepped out, and even in the hall outside the Cabins. Red had passed out the lists without grace, just like he did everything, but no one complained about his careless behavior this time. No one wanted to say anything, not when Yellow would scold them for any sign of dissatisfaction with Homebase. But still, even if silently, stress and frustration were high.

There wasn’t even a need for the new assignment list. With the original crew of thirty-six cut down to twelve, the new SK41 woke up every morning, went dutifully to their tasks, and waited for something, anything, to happen.

 _Two_ : With a sigh, Cyan crumpled up the list and tossed it across the room towards the wastebasket, but the paper missed, bounced off the wall, and rolled across the floor. Again, they sighed, finding nothing better to do than mumble angrily to themselves in the stuffy, dim room they’d been assigned to.

Four months ago, when Cyan left Homebase, the Skeld had a large crew, with three people assigned to each task room. It had been so simple in the beginning. Homebase had trained everyone well, they’d listened to countless speeches from those who worked on the Skeld or other, similar missions, and had gone through at least a dozen simulations of what life in the universe clusters existing beyond Earth would be like. Within a week of being on the Skeld, Cyan even felt familiar with it.

They knew that steering took place in Navigation, where the Yellows (Y-SK4-1) were stationed. They knew that in Admin, where the Greens (R-SK4-3) worked, you could find the location of every crewmate, their little, color-coded icons darting and dancing across a map stretching over a tabletop. They’d even been taught how to handle reactor meltdowns by a Brown and had fun with it until Yellow, the Yellow now in charge, had found out and snitched.

Four months ago, Cyan would’ve called the Skeld _fun_.

 _Three_ : It all started with Achilles Fax. While Homebase didn’t disclose the entirety of their mission to Cyan and the other, lower-ranking, and newer crewmates, it was clear that they were conducting research on something important, located somewhere between universe cluster four and universe cluster ten. It made sense that other companies would be following their lead, but sabotage had never once crossed Cyan’s mind. If it ever was something Homebase worried about, they didn’t include it in training.

At the time, Cyan’s full title was C-SK43-9. ( _C, standing for Cyan, SK for the Skeld, 4 for Skeld’s fourth mission, 3 for their rank in Communications, 9 for their color’s rank among the crew._ ) At the time, they’d shared Communications with C-SK41-9 and C-SK42-9. It was nice. They’d each had their own computer, with C-SK41-9 handling the main monitor. Work wasn’t too hard as the mission was going so well. They’d just passed universe cluster three and were entering the fourth when the regular alerts stopped buzzing through the computers.

There was no feedback from Homebase. There were no requests from the other task rooms. There was only a red screen, an alert blotted across it: **CAUTION! PURSUAL FROM ACHILLES FAX.** It lasted only a minute and Homebase was brief in their answers, only asking that Communications tell Weapons to be ready and for Navigation to gain speed.

Cyan couldn’t help but wonder if Homebase had explained the alert just a bit more if what happened in the coming months could’ve been avoided.

Somewhere in the second month on the Skeld, when the alert from Homebase was the last thing on Cyan’s mind, Orange, or O-SK43-5 as she had been known at the time, reported the very first G-SK41-3 as dead. Communications got to work reaching Homebase.

For a while, there was silence from Homebase. Cyan and their crewmates waited for hours until finally: **SK41 WILL BE RETURNING TO HOMEBASE. SENSITIVE KNOWLEDGE AT RISK. ACHILLES FAX MAY HAVE INFILTRATED THE SKELD. IMPOSTER MAY BE ONBOARD AND DANGEROUS. BE WARY. ACHILLES FAX CAN NOT REACH SK41. SK42 WILL TAKE OVER THEIR COMMAND. USE EXIT POD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.**

And that was that.

The SK41 that they boarded the Skeld with left, traveling home while the Skeld was temporarily parked in the fifth universe cluster. Doubt started setting in at that point. Cyan lay awake in their bunk at night, wondering if one of the people they worked with, or perhaps even one of the crewmates they’d grown close to, was the imposter who killed G-SK41-3. 

For a month, it was quiet again, until three of the new SK41 were found dead in Storage by BK-SK4 and L-SK4. There was questioning then. What an odd coincidence it was that the four of them, who could’ve so easily overpowered PI-SK41-10, Y-SK41-1, and the new G-SK41-3. What an odd coincidence that both Greens died. The Blacks and Limes had an explanation though, one that Cyan didn’t feel the need to argue with. It made enough sense to them. The Blacks were in Electrical and the Limes were in Lower Engine; they said they walked together every morning, cutting through Storage. 

Cyan, personally, didn’t see the need to debate what happened to the three SK41. They were comfortable with their position as C-SK42-9 and sticking close to C-SK41-9, under the promise that if there really was an imposter on the Skeld, they’d watch out for each other. 

It seemed like a good plan until Homebase received the report of the deaths and responded with: **SK41, ORIGINALLY SK42, WILL BE RETURNING TO HOMEBASE. SENSITIVE KNOWLEDGE AT RISK. ACHILLES FAX MAY HAVE INFILTRATED THE SKELD. IMPOSTER MAY BE ONBOARD AND DANGEROUS. BE WARY. ACHILLES FAX CAN NOT REACH SK41. SK42, ORIGINALLY SK43, WILL TAKE OVER THEIR COMMAND. USE EXIT POD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.**

And that was that. 

Here and now, in the fourth month on the Skeld, Cyan counted each beep their computers made as it searched for the Homebase. When SK41, or the original SK42, left the Skeld, connections dropped. Any buttons pushed in Communications only got the red screen with the old alert: **CAUTION! PURSUAL FROM ACHILLES FAX.** Pardon the repetition, but it was all Cyan could say to soothe their mind: that was that, that was that, that was that. 

There was nothing to be done. There was no argument or plea. Homebase had disconnected from the Skeld as they rapidly approached the tenth universe cluster, where there was nothing but mystery. Who knew what would happen if Homebase never reconnected? Or if Achilles Fax caught up? Cyan couldn’t be bothered with such things because if they were, their mind drifted back to what Blue had told them one night, as the two sat alone in Cafeteria. 

Their helmets had been discarded and for a brief, rare moment, Cyan saw humanity in Blue’s eyes. The sight was enough to make Cyan weak. Helmets, and if not helmets, then goggles, were kept on for a great deal of the time on the Skeld, and those few times that Cyan got to recognize their crewmates as humans, rather than some alien life form, was a beautiful treat. 

But in Blue’s eyes, there was fear. He’d hesitated on his words and then told Cyan, “There still is an imposter among us.” 


	2. Cafeteria Conversation

“What I don’t understand,” Lime said, setting her tray down on the table, “Is why we even do our tasks still. Couldn’t we just park the ship and float for a while? Take a real break?”

She pulled her helmet off, shaking out her dark hair. It stuck to her cheeks, which were flushed and ruddy from heat, even with the protection the helmet offered. She worked in Lower Engine, which was always sweltering hot or biting cold, making Cyan grateful for their task room. Communications may be boring these days but at least it was comfortable. 

“It’s like Yellow always says,” Pink said, taking a bite of her apple and pausing as she chewed. “It’s just protocol. What’s that thing she always tells you, Cyan?” 

Cyan smiled a little, smushing the peas on their tray with a fork. They hated the bland, mushy things. Homebase had supplied them with enough food for the year-long mission, and now that the original SK41 and SK42 were gone, food was abundant, but the good stuff was still mostly off-limits. Yellow said that if they rushed into gorging themselves on the sweet, canned peaches or rich, flavorful soups, they’d be left as nothing but lazy gluttons with no motivation. So, the food Cyan really wanted was only served once a week. Sure, it was a nice treat, but they were _really_ getting tired of mushy peas. 

“She’s always saying that I have to stay in Communications in case Homebase reconnects,” Cyan said, “Which I doubt they’re ever going to do.” 

“If you ask me, Homebase left us up here to die,” Lime said. 

“To die?” Pink stared. “I don’t think I’d go that far. Purple thinks they’ll send help soon.”

“Well, Purple’s just optimistic.” Lime spooned peas onto a slice of bread and laughed when she saw Cyan’s disgusted face. “The bread’s stale. The peas are soggy. They cancel each other out,” she explained. 

But Cyan just shook their head. “I’ll take my chances with starvation,” they said, shoving their tray away. “You’ve been quiet today, White.” 

Lunches were done in shifts of four. Earlier in the day, Yellow, Red, Green, and Blue ate together. Then, Orange, Purple, Black, and Brown. Finally, when the Cafeteria was already messy with the trash of the other crewmates and exhaustion from the long, boring workday had settled in, Cyan, Pink, Lime, and White got to eat. Then, they got to clean up after everyone later that night when dinner was finished. Doesn’t sound fair? It certainly didn’t to Cyan, but they knew better than to complain. 

At the very least they’d gotten friends from the arrangement. Lime, Pink, and White were the only faces they got to see every day and they were careful to memorize every detail, wishing that the helmets could stay off for just a while longer. The helmets were just as Yellow loved to say; protocol. Homebase instructed that they were always at risk of an oxygen depletion, which Orange handled. If something were to happen, they’d need their full suits on. Helmets, Homebase had told them during training, could be removed for eating and showering, but were to be worn at all other times, even when sleeping.

As previously established, Cyan clung to the glances of humanity when they saw their friends’ faces. They took time to notice the little things, like the slight gap between Lime’s front teeth, the beauty mark under White’s left eye, and how Pink’s nose twitched every now and then, every day, without fail. 

“You okay, White?” Pink asked, setting her apple down. She sat next to Cyan; Lime and White across from them. 

White gave a small shrug. “It’s just Black,” she began, only to be cut off by a collective groan around the table. 

“I don’t know how many more times we have to have this conversation,” Lime said, annoyed. “You’re too good for him. He’s an ass.” 

Pink reached across the table, squeezing White’s hand. “Don’t listen to her,” she said, “I think Black’s a good guy. He’s just…” Her voice trailed off and she looked away from White’s pleading eyes, to Cyan for help. 

Cyan offered a smile. “Closed off,” they supplied. “Black’s just closed off. The private, mysterious type.” 

Pink nodded enthusiastically. “Mysterious! That’s hot.” 

White shook her head, pulling her hand away from Pink’s. “He hasn’t done anything wrong this time,” she said, “He’s just stressed this week and hasn’t wanted to spend much time together.” 

“That’s not either of your faults. It’s impossible to visit anyone these days,” Lime said. “I tried to visit Talako in Admin the other day when my engine was good and he nearly bit my head off.” 

Talako, or Green, was Lime’s older brother. Cyan had a few siblings and cousins back home and as much as they loved them, they’d been eager to leave them on Earth. They couldn’t imagine having to go through Homebase training and departure, then task assignment and work, with an older sibling breathing down their neck. 

They cringed. “Why do you keep trying to visit him? He’s only ever mean to you.” 

“Just hoping that one day he’ll stop being a jerk and be proud of me,” Lime said, then with a sigh, added, “He’s not even a jerk. He just hates me or something.” 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Pink said with a light laugh. “It’s probably just sibling rivalry. I know I’d lose it if my sister was on the Skeld with me.” Everyone smiled at that. Pink was so bubbly and kind, the idea of her being mad at anyone, even an annoying sibling, seemed impossible. 

“But I do get what you mean,” she continued. “I stepped away from Security for, like, two seconds yesterday and Brown pops out of Reactor threatening to report me to Yellow. I couldn’t even say hi to Purple.” 

“Everyone’s so strict lately,” Cyan said, “Almost makes me happy that I only have Red next door. He never bothers me.” 

“Even if you’re not working?” White asked. 

“He never bothers to check. I’ve walked by Shields before and he doesn’t even turn my way.” 

“Lucky,” Pink said with a pout, pushing around her peas with a fork. “Do you really think Homebase is going to let us die out here, Lime?” she asked. 

“I don’t know,” Lime admitted, “But if it carries on like this much longer, I might get in an escape pod and leave by myself.” 

White nearly gasped. “You’d abandon the mission?” 

“Why not? They abandoned us.” 

Cyan didn’t have much to say. They busied themselves by picking at their stale, flavorless bread, trying to find some spot that wouldn’t take gulps of water to force down. 

“I wouldn’t call it abandonment,” Pink said, “Just a security precaution. I don’t know why they had to disconnect though. Can Achilles Fax steal information through the computer signals or something, Cyan?” 

“Maybe,” Cyan said, “I’m not really sure. C-SK41-9 would probably know, but I don’t.” 

“You are C-SK41-9, silly,” White said with a little grin. 

Cyan playfully tossed a baby carrot from their tray at her. “You know what I mean,” they said. “It sucks that the real SK41 and SK42 had to go back to Homebase. Sometimes I feel like I barely know how to do my task, not that I have anything to do anymore.” 

“I just stare at the cameras all day,” Pink said, “And watch people do stuff.” 

“Anything interesting?” Lime asked.

“Other than Orange sneaking around Navigation lately, no, not really,” she said with a smug smirk as the table processed the information. Skeld relationships were just about the only interesting thing that happened anymore and Pink, with her security cameras, was always first to find out about them. 

“Orange and Yellow?” Cyan said. “ _That’s_ unexpected!” 

“I saw it coming,” White said with a giggle. “Orange is always so supportive of Yellow at the meetings!” 

Lime let out a snort of laughter. “Yellow seems so shy around Orange. You think she’s into her?” 

“Not really,” Pink said, “Poor Keiko.” 

“Poor Keiko,” Cyan repeated with a sympathetic nod, “But can you imagine Yellow in a relationship? _You have to kiss me five times today, it’s just protocol._ ” 

White rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop. Yellow’s nice.” 

“Nice is generous,” Lime said, picking up her tray and carrying it to the nearby trashcan to discard the scraps of lunch. “She’s like a dictator, mad with power since she took over as SK41-1.” 

“Never, ever leaves Navigation either,” Pink added, “I’ve seen everybody leave their posts at least once outside of lunch and dinner. Never her, though.” She carried her tray to the trash too. “Wanna walk together, Lime?” 

Lime nodded, taking a moment to stretch before putting her helmet back on. “You better hurry, Cyan,” she said, “We only have a few more minutes of lunch left.” 

Cyan looked at their barely touched tray. “Not hungry,” they said, “Not for this at least.” 

White reached over, plucking out one of their carrots and biting it with a loud crunch. Lunch today was hardly generous; a few baby carrots, a small serving of peas, a bruised apple if you got there fast enough, and bread. Cyan was a self-proclaimed picky eater but even the others had to admit today’s meal was slightly worse than usual. 

“Could be worse,” White said, “Could be Blue’s oatmeal again.” 

Lime made a face beneath her helmet. “Hardly call that oatmeal,” she said. “I couldn't even pick it up on my spoon.” 

“It stuck together,” Cyan said, smiling at the memory, “But at least he tried.” 

“Yep. The thought that counts,” Pink said, “But still, I think I’d take the peas over that.” They shared a laugh over the memory before a bell chimed, shrill and loud, telling them the lunch break was over. Pink pulled her helmet back on and gave a wave before leaving towards Medbay with Lime. 

White put her helmet on as Cyan emptied their tray. “Do you really think Black is mysterious?” she asked. 

Cyan grinned. “Sure,” they said. “I don’t know if he’s ever actually spoken to me. That's mysterious.” They put their helmet on, brushing crumbs from the bread off the front of their suit. 

“He’s nice,” White said, “Just have to give him a chance.” 

“Even after how much you two argue?” 

White nodded. “He’s a good guy,” she assured Cyan, “I promise.” 

“Whatever you say,” Cyan said. “I believe you,” they added when White hesitated, waiting before moving towards the east exit from Cafeteria. 

Finally, pleased with Cyan’s acceptance, she nodded and waved. “See you at dinner, Cyan. Have a good night.” 

“You too!” They waved, making their way back to Communications. Lunch was always quick, but that did make sense. Some tasks couldn’t be left unattended for very long. Navigation, Shields, and White’s Weapons… they all seemed much more important in comparison to Cyan’s disconnected Communications. 

“I can’t believe Orange and Yellow are a thing,” they mused softly to themselves as they walked back to their task room. “I kinda guessed Orange liked Yellow, but it’s gotta be one-sided, right? That would make them the third couple while I'm still alone. Yellow can’t get a girlfriend before I do.” 

It was such a trivial matter to be concerned over on the Skeld, in outer space, but they allowed themselves the quick fantasy that life was normal and the biggest obstacle was finding someone to date before Orange and Yellow got together, if Yellow was even capable of human emotion. 

They plopped back down in their chair, the wheels sending them rolling around the room, briefly. “So Pink and Purple, Black and White,” they said, “And now Orange and Yellow. All together.” 

There was a muffled part of their mind that thought of their agreement with the second C-SK41-9, the one they'd made before he departed back to Homebase. Having someone around that you were close to meant possible protection from the imposter if they were still on the Skeld. 

“Don’t be silly, Pau,” they scolded themself, “There’s no imposter. You’re fine.” 

But still, a part of them did wonder, and a part of them did fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was less interesting, just wanted to introduce some of the characters! Thank you for the support <3
> 
> More about the characters:   
> Cyan:   
> -Formally C-SK41-9  
> -19 years old   
> -Name: Pau Moncada   
> -Task room: Communications   
> -Fun fact! Really likes gummy candy lol 
> 
> Pink:   
> -Formally PI-SK41-10  
> -18 years old   
> -Name: Niesha Clark  
> -Task room: Security   
> -Fun fact! Has a crush on Purple, one so obvious everyone has already accepted they're together, but according to Pink, they're taking things slow. Really, she's just shy when it comes to Purple 
> 
> Lime:   
> -Formally L-SK41-11  
> -16 years old   
> -Name: Tula Miller  
> -Task room: Lower Engine   
> -Fun fact! Green's little sister and the youngest crewmember of the Skeld 
> 
> White:   
> -Formally W-SK41-12  
> -21 years old  
> -Name: Lana Koh   
> -Task room: Weapons   
> -Fun fact! In a relationship with Black, much to the annoyance of her friends. Black and White are always arguing


	3. In Reactor

Communications was quiet, spare for the beeping from Cyan’s lonely computer. It was always quiet, but tonight, there was something special about the silence. 

An hour or so after lunch, when Cyan was close to falling asleep, an alarm sang out so, so sweetly to them. Really, it was an awful scream that made them nearly fall out of their chair as they were jolted awake, but the realization of what was happening made the whole thing a dream come true. Grinning like a madman and grateful for the helmet that hid said grin, Cyan left Communications. 

Yellow had called a meeting. Only Yellow, as the crewmate in charge, could do that. Cyan guessed that in an emergency, Red, Green, or Blue could call a meeting too, but as long as Yellow was able-bodied and all was well on the Skeld, it was a privilege reserved to her. Feeling like a new person, revitalized with the news of a meeting and a chance to see and talk to everyone on the Skeld, Cyan all but skipped down the hall to Shields. 

The door to Shields soon slid open with a hiss, Red standing in the entrance. He stopped when he saw them. “What do you want?” 

“Did you hear?” they asked, though it was obvious he had. Everyone in the Skeld heard the alarm going off. 

“Obviously,” he said, stepping around them. “Report back to your task, Cyan.” 

They followed behind him, walking past Communications, which Cyan didn’t even give a glance. _Good riddance,_ they thought, _Who needs it? I’m about to see the entire crew! I’m about to feel important! I’m about to-_

“Did you not hear me?” Red snapped, stopping abruptly before they entered Storage. “Report back to your task.”

“But a meeting was called,” Cyan said, hot panic settling in. Had they done something wrong? Worse, was something wrong on the Skeld? 

“Yes, and if you actually kept your walkie talkie on, you would know that it’s only for me, Yellow, Blue, and Green,” he said, “And all you less important colors are to continue working.” 

What should’ve felt like a punch to the gut instead came as an even greater blessing. Cyan nodded quickly. “Sorry for the misunderstanding,” they said, taking a step back. “Good luck at the meeting. I’ll be sure to turn the walkie talkie on next time.” 

Red acknowledged them with a curt nod, pressed the button to open the doors to Storage, and stepped through, leaving Cyan in the hall. They listened, waiting for the sound of Red’s footsteps to disappear as he entered Cafeteria. 

On Homebase, when they applied to join the crew, Cyan had been put through an aptitude and ability test that thoroughly analyzed every part of their personality, life, and mind. Everyone on the crew had. At first, the number system felt like a bit of an insult, knowing that someone had been deemed better than them based off test scores, but C-SK42-1 had explained that it didn’t mean they were _smarter_ or _better;_ it just meant that Homebase believed they were a better fit for leadership positions and the skills reserved to each Task. He explained that after the first four colors, the number system hardly mattered at all- or at least, that’s what Homebase had intended. A hierarchy had developed aboard the Skeld as everyone clamored to feel special and boss someone else around. Even the first four colors, who were supposed to be the best at leading, got a big head. 

Cyan couldn’t see the appeal, but Red clearly could. The guy shoved everyone but Yellow around if they got in his way. If Blue, Green, and Yellow weren’t waiting from him in the Cafeteria, he probably would’ve yelled at Cyan for at least an hour for having their walkie talkie off. 

“Not my fault it’s annoying to hear Yellow whining all day,” Cyan muttered, sneaking behind a tall wall of boxes in Storage. They had to be careful to get through silently. One wrong move and something could go toppling down, alerting everyone in the meeting that they hadn’t returned to Communications and instead, were heading to the Reactor. 

Meetings for the whole crew happened every other week or so. Meetings for the highest colors happened less frequently. When any meeting happened, Yellow parked the ship for a while as she had to leave Navigation unattended. That meant the functions of all other Task Rooms were left practically useless unless you felt the need to hover and make sure every single function was working well at all times, which Cyan definitely did not. So, the lower colors had started hosting their own little get-togethers whenever the more exclusive meetings were called. They all snuck to Reactor, sharing out whatever snacks they had swiped from Cafeteria. 

Cyan pulled their helmet off, dropping it near the entrance of Reactor as they stepped in. “Hey,” Orange piped up, “You might want to put that back on. I’m not at O2, we could-” 

“I’ll take my chances choking on space air,” Purple said, coming up behind Cyan and stepping around them, helmet already tucked under their arm. 

Orange sighed. “I wish you’d all take this seriously. Oxygen depletion is a big deal.” 

“I know,” Cyan said, “But getting to see everyone’s pretty faces is too.” 

Purple smiled at them. “How’s Communications, dude?” 

“Boring. Crappy. Same as always,” they said. “How’s Upper Engine?” 

She gave a small shrug, a slight blush on her cheeks. “Not too bad,” she said. “I’ve had company lately.” 

Cyan glanced at Pink, who stood in a corner of the room, laughing with Brown. 

“Lucky,” Cyan said, going to the makeshift snack table. A few grapes, a jar of applesauce, a little package of pepperoni; they smiled. It was a humble haul, but considering that stealing food was strictly prohibited, it was a good one, especially to Cyan’s stomach. It churned with the aches of hunger, hating them for turning their nose up at lunch earlier, as Cyan popped a grape in their mouth. 

Black and White entered together, White leaning against him with an adoring glow in her eyes as she looked up at Black, who still wore his helmet. He wore it so often that Cyan wasn’t even sure they remembered what he looked like. 

“Great,” Lime said, appearing suddenly at Cyan’s side, “Romeo and Juliet are here.” 

Cyan smiled a small, crooked smile. “Cut them some slack. She’s happy.” 

“Doesn’t excuse him being the worst.” 

“Why don’t you go tell him that?” 

Horrified at the idea, Lime said, “Tell him that? Are you crazy? The guy’s a giant,” she said, “He could crush me like a bug.” 

Cyan shook their head, exasperated, as Purple joined them. “Do you know why the meeting was called?” Cyan asked. 

“Nope,” she said, “Blue seemed on edge this morning when we walked to our Tasks but didn’t say anything when I asked about it. Seemed like he was hiding something.” 

“Is it Achilles Fax?” Lime asked. 

“The computers didn’t pick anything up,” Cyan said. “I did a scan just, like, two days ago and no nearby server or any devices was trying to reach us.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s Achilles,” Purple said. 

“The imposter then?” Cyan said unsurely. 

“Imposter?” Lime scoffed. “More like a traitor than an Imposter. Someone on board, picking off those of us who actually know what they’re doing. I think they were in SK42 and left with the rest of ‘em. Nothing’s happened since they left.” 

“If there was an imposter, it’d probably be red. He’s always in a foul mood,” Purple said, “And it’s the color of blood.” 

“I don’t think you can base how likely someone is to kill off the fact that they wear _red,_ ” Cyan said with a chuckle. 

“I don’t know. She’s kinda right,” Lime said. “Red is suspicious.” 

“What about Brown?” Cyan said. 

“Brown? Why Brown?” 

“I see them staring into space all the time,” they said, “Like they’re not even here.” 

“Brown daydreams a lot, so what? They can’t be telepathically communicating with Achilles Fax or something,” Purple said. 

“Still, you know what I mean. If they’re that bored with Reactor, we can switch Tasks,” Cyan said. “Communications sucks.” 

“No Task sucks,” Black said, interrupting. His arm was around White, whose smile seemed to beg them to be nice to him. “Every Task is good. It’s an honor to work for Homebase.” 

Lime didn’t seem to get the memo. “Yeah, I guess,” she said, staring down with annoyance at the drink in her hand. “But Lower Engine does get hot. I wouldn’t mind being in Electrical like you, Black.” 

“Or in Security like Pink,” Purple said. 

“More like in Security _with_ Pink,” Cyan said, bumping playfully against Purple, who just blushed at the joke. Pink, across the room, having heard her name, looked over with a bright smile that only made Purple’s face flush more. 

Black nodded along to the conversation. “I heard you wondering why they called the meeting,” he said, “And I know why.” 

Lime’s interest peaked again, she looked up. “Really? Why?” 

“Yesterday morning when I went to Electrical, some of the wires had been messed with. Nothing I would’ve ever done; it was the work of someone who had no idea what they were doing.” 

“And Black is really good at Electrical,” White added, smiling at him. She was looking for approval from someone, whether it be her friends or her boyfriend. She desperately wanted them to like each other. Cyan held back a frown; That wouldn’t be happening any time soon, at least, not for Black and Lime. 

Black just nodded. “I reported it to Green and last night. Yellow spoke to me outside the Lockers about it, said she’d call a meeting today.” 

“Then why aren’t you there?” Lime asked. There was a colder, snide tone in her voice, one that seemed to ask _why are you even here if you could be there, far away from me?_

There was a slight change in Black’s deep, accented voice as he said, “I wanted to see Lana.” 

White’s gaze turned to Lime, a prideful spark in her eyes, but Lime just rolled her eyes and looked away. “I’m getting some of the applesauce.” She stepped away from the group, bumping into Black as she went. 

“What’s her problem?” Purple asked. 

“It seems like she doesn’t approve of me and White,” Black said. “I wonder why.” 

“Beats me,” Cyan said, not wanting to tell the guy that White came crying to the lunch table after every argument they had. That was something for White and Black to work out. 

“Do you think someone was trying to sabotage Electrical?” Purple said. 

“Could be,” Black said. 

“If something went wrong, we could lose all our power,” White said nervously. “I wouldn’t be able to use Weapons.” 

“We wouldn’t even be able to see,” Cyan said, shuddering at the thought of tumbling around the dark ship and running into the wrong person. “Do you think they’ll call a meeting, later on, to talk to us about what happened?” 

As if Yellow were listening in, the alarm sounded again, red lights flashing over head, right as the words left Cyan’s mouth. They glanced up, confused, as walkie talkies crackled to life. Lime reached for her utility belt, snapping it off to better hear the message above the loud sound of the alarm. 

Yellow’s voice spoke to Lime, and to Cyan who listened in with her: “Sorry for another interruption, everyone, but please join us in the Cafeteria for an emergency crew meeting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More about the characters!   
> Orange:   
> -Formally: O-SK41-5  
> -20 years old   
> -Name: Keiko Akiyama   
> -Task room: O2 
> 
> Purple:   
> -Formally: PR-SK41-6  
> -19 years old   
> -Name: Mayumi DeGrano  
> -Task room: Upper Engine 
> 
> Black:   
> -Formally: BK-SK41-7  
> -22 years old   
> -Name: Grigori Krasnoff  
> -Task room: Electricity 
> 
> Brown:   
> -Formally: B-SK41-8  
> -21 years old   
> -Name: Kameo Mahelona   
> -Task room: Reactor 
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


	4. Where We Were Two Nights Ago: Yellow & Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorta my take on when people argue about where they were? A bit different from the rest of the chapters, I hope you like it <3 thank you all for the support!

Yellow knew there would be commotion the moment she asked it. She knew when the thought entered her mind, she knew as the words tumbled from her mouth; “Where were you all two nights ago?”

All at once, twelve voices rose to defend themselves. She hadn’t imagined it was a hard question to answer as the expectation was that, during the night, you only go to the Locker Room, the Cabins, or the Cafeteria's designated night time snack table. They only had a few hours to rest and she expected her crew to make the most of it. After all, a good night's sleep was needed for them to work well and control the Skeld to the best of their ability. 

Red’s hand came to rest on her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze, one she couldn’t tell whether it was meant to be reassuring or threatening, but it trapped her in her seat. It wasn’t like she was going to run away, but she’d be lying if she said the pressure of quieting the ruly crew wasn’t getting to her. Still, there was no need for Red to touch her in such a way. She shrugged his hand off. 

Unfazed, Red said to the crew, “I think it would be best if we all say, individually, where we were two nights ago. Yellow, you start.” 

All eyes fell to her. She smiled underneath her helmet. “Sure,” she said. “Thanks, Red. Two nights ago, on the night Electrical was sabotaged… ” 

_… **She’d been in bed when the sabotage occurred.** She was sure of it. _

_She’d shut off Navigation for the night once making sure they weren’t in any danger in their current location, then gone to Locker Room with White and Red, who always clocked out around the same time she did. She took the shortest shower, went through her night time routine the fastest, just like every night, then, in Cabins, went to the Yellow Cabin at the very end of the hall, designated by a bright, yellow door._

_In each Cabin was a bunkbed and a separate, full-sized bed with crisp sheets and a thin quilt matching the color the room was assigned to. That way, nothing got mixed up in the wash, which was located in the Locker Room. Yellow’s room was spotless and she was careful to pick it up every night before bed. The bottom bunk had been her’s when she joined the Skeld from Homebase, with Y-SK42-1 in the top bunk and Y-SK41-1 in the full-sized bed. But each time there was an adjustment in the assignment list as SK42 and SK41 returned to Homebase, she changed beds. It just seemed fitting. If she was truly going to fill her new role, she needed to take everything that came with it._

_So, at precisely 11:35 PM, she settled into the full sized bed, suit correctly on as advised, and lay down for sleep. Further away from the rest of the crew, with her only direct company being Red, Yellow slept peacefully with very little noise or distraction but the soft drum and hum of the music Red played in his Cabin._

_She’d slept the way she always did, then woke up as the alarm on her bedside table chimed at five AM. Very few people were awake, spare for the unfortunate few who couldn’t sleep and were sitting in Cafeteria like the living dead, sipping at watered down, bitter coffee. Yellow, of course, skipped coffee. She’d never liked it. Caffeine fried her nerves._

_After a quick walk around the Skeld that left her beaming with pride over her well-kept ship, she’d gone to Navigation and began the day..._

“...And that’s it,” Yellow finished, folding her hands on the tabletop. “Nothing interesting. Sorry to disappoint.” 

“You didn’t,” Orange rushed to say, making Yellow quirk an eyebrow. The girl had been far too eager to come to her defense these days. Brown-Nosing wouldn’t get you anywhere on Yellow’s ship, so it really was useless. “No one was suspecting you.” 

“Thank you, Akiyama,” Yellow said. 

“I can’t believe your nights are so boring,” Lime said, helmet at her feet and jaw aghast. “You go to bed at the same time every night?” 

Green shot her an aggravated look. “Ignore her, Yellow,” he said, “She’s just a stupid kid.” 

“Yes, well,” Yellow began before Red interjected. 

He said, “That’s enough. No one suspected Yellow of meddling. Now, if the person who did it would come forward,” he paused, waiting for someone to pipe up and admit to tampering with the wires in Electrical. Of course, no one did. He sighed. “Right. Then, it’s my turn...” 

_…Without a doubt, **Red had been in his Cabin when the sabotage occurred.**_

_He wasn’t the social type. He’d joined the Skeld after a failed dream of pursing college football that, in retrospect, did seem stupid. He wasn’t even the best on his tiny, hometown team, so why he thought he’d make it to the big leagues was beyond him now that he was in space. Maybe he’d just watched Rudy too many times, fed some fantasy in his teenage mind._

_Joining the Skeld had been an impulse fueled by getting away from failed dreams and friends who all seemed to be doing better than him. He wasn’t social back home and when Homebase selected him to be R-SK43-2, he hadn’t planned on changing that. Green and Black were the closest things he had to friends on the Skeld as he guessed they were all alike, sorta._

_Quieter. More private. What most of the crew would call intimidating._

_That was where the similarities ended. That was to say, that’s where his desire to socialize with Green and Black ended. Even if they had some similar qualities, he was too busy to talk to them. What would they even talk about? How everyone on the crew was scared of them? Red scoffed at the idea. It wasn’t his idea of a good time._

_What was though, was getting out of Shields and going to take a nice, long shower, then staying up in his room actually enjoying himself for the first time all day. He’d been happy when SK42 and SK41 went home; it meant a room to himself. A room where he could scatter the floor with clothes, put posters on the walls, and play his music as loud as possible; it was always muffled by the thick walls of the Cabin._

_Like Yellow, he had a routine and stuck to it. Get your work done in Shields, beat everyone to the showers, go to your Cabin, and listen to your music. It was in the rules that he should wear his suit while sleeping and occasionally he did, but there was no way he was staying in the uncomfortable thing alone in his Cabin while awake. He’d put on sweatpants and a tank top then stretch out his tired bones and muscles, before choosing a good book or magazine and unwinding to his favorite songs. It was one of the only two good things about life on the Skeld:_  
The privacy in his Cabin and in Shields  
The feeling of accomplishment and pride 

_Here, he ranked number two. Here, no one but Yellow stood above him. And here, there was no football team turning him down. It was like he dominated his own little realm and what a pleasant feeling that was._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More on the characters!  
> Yellow:  
> -Formally Y-SK41-1  
> -23 years old  
> -Name: Gautami Burman  
> -Task room: Navigation 
> 
> Red:  
> -Formally R-SK41-2  
> -21 years old  
> -Name: Silas Smith  
> -Task room: Shields  
> -Fun fact! He really likes football movies lol “Rudy,” the movie he mentions, is one :)


	5. Where We Were Two Nights Ago: Green & Blue

… “So it wasn’t Red or Yellow,” Brown said. There was an awkward feeling in the air. No one on the Skeld had wanted to know so much about Red and Yellow’s private lives. Even if Cyan had wondered before if they functioned like normal humans with real emotions and hobbies, learning that yes; Red did, but no; Yellow didn’t, was uncomfortably shocking. 

“Obviously not,” Black said. “They’re in charge. They have no motive to sabotage their own ship.” 

“So one of us _does_ have a motive?” 

“Who knows,” Pink interjected. “It might just be a misunderstanding. Let’s give whoever did it the benefit of the doubt.” 

“If it was just a misunderstanding, why won’t they come forward and admit to it?” Lime asked. Brown nodded in agreement. 

“That’s enough,” Green said. “It’s my turn.” 

_… **The night of the sabotage, Green was in Admin.** He didn't usually work late, but he made a point to stick to the number of work hours recommended by Homebase. He prided himself on that. He shared Yellow’s care and affections for the Skeld and Red’s appreciation for authority and formality on the ship, without Yellow’s awkwardness or Red’s pride and overbearing ego. Blue, the fourth of their little command team, was the most soft-spoken but admittedly, the smartest. Stationed in MedBay, he was as good a medic as Green could hope for. _

_But all that besides the point, which was that Green needed to make up work hours. He’d overslept that morning, stumbling into Admin about three hours later than normal. Of course, no one bothered to wake him up. They probably all assumed he was in Admin already. The one downfall of sticking to your work was lacking a good ally on the Skeld, even one that would just knock on your Cabin door when they noticed you weren’t in your task room._

_Just like Electrical, Green himself had been sabotaged. Someone was tampering with his things. The batteries had been removed from his alarm clock, which caused him to oversleep. Of the three sets of boots given to each crewmate by Homebase, every right boot had been stolen, leaving him with three lefts. The sugar he used for his morning coffee tasted a lot more like salt lately, and the door to Admin had gotten jammed shut a few times in the past week._

_But that was all a detail he could leave out. The crew didn’t need to know someone was pranking him, mostly because it wouldn’t be good for the person who was doing the pranking._

_Was Tula capable of causing a ton of small, minor inconveniences in his life? Sure, she always had been. But was she capable of messing up wires in Electrical? No._

_It was something that would stay between them. He doubted anyone was aware of what she was doing, unless she told her friends, but that meant she was good at sneaking around, which wouldn’t sound good when she had to argue her innocence. He certainly didn’t notice she’d been in his room when she stole his boots and batteries, and though as he thought about it, it sounded suspicious, he knew that Tula would never go as far as to tamper with Electrical. Sabotaging her older brother was one thing, sabotaging the Skeld was another._

_Ever since they were little, she’d always pranked him like that. Rubber snakes in his bed were her favorite, but there were times it went beyond that, making him angry enough to yell at her. Maybe that was when things went downhill for them? As much as he loved her, Tula was just disagreeable. They were always arguing, fighting, criticizing each other, while their parents doted on her and praised her for her many athletic achievements, her good grades, and perfect attendance, and for having countless friends at school._

_Going to the Skeld had been the first big thing to happen to Talako, but of course, Tula couldn’t let him have it. The next year- this year- she’d applied with Homebase and had been selected to go to the Skeld on the fourth mission, which he had already been selected for. His last mission hadn’t been on the Skeld, but rather the Polus, where he’d performed exceptionally well. He partially blamed himself; if he wasn’t so good at what he did, Homebase wouldn’t have expected the same of Tula and it would’ve been harder for her to get in and steal his one, special thing._

_That was another detail he’d keep to himself. The crew didn’t need to know of his silly, immature rivalry with his little sister. All they needed to know is that he’d been in Admin on the night of the sabotage, making up the hours missed when he overslept due to a faulty alarm clock. No little sister involved or harmed…_

“... So you were in Admin?” Purple said. “Isn’t that near Electrical?” 

“Not really,” Green said. “It connects to the hall going from the south exit to Storage. You can get to Electrical from Storage, but they’re not necessarily near each other.” 

“You didn’t hear anything?” Blue asked. 

“Nothing louder than the ship shifting like it usually does in park.” 

“I don’t think it was Green,” Yellow said, “And I don’t think he saw or heard anything suspicious. If he had, he would’ve reported it.” 

“Not to mention he’s the one I reported the sabotage to,” Black said. “Just being out of his Cabin doesn’t instantly make him the one at fault. He’d been surprised when I told him.”

Green smiled appreciatively, a gesture that went unnoticed with his helmet on. “Thank you, Yellow, Black.” He turned to Blue. “And where were you, Jeremiah?” 

“MedBay,” Blue said, “I stay most nights in there. There's all the medical beds and I want to be ready in case someone comes in injured. I don’t want anyone to have to sit around and wait for me to wake up.” 

“So Blue and Green were both out of Cabins?” Yellow said. “As much as I respect your logic, Blue, that’s not-” 

“ _It’s not protocol,_ ,” Cyan interrupted. “We get it, Yellow. But it makes more sense for the medic to be in MedBay if he can just as easily sleep there.” 

“Don’t speak out against the commander, Cyan,” Red all but snarled. “Know your place.” 

“It’s fine, Cyan,” Blue said. “I can defend myself.” He smiled warmly at them though. “I understand what you’re saying, Yellow. We can discuss this matter more later if you want?” 

“That would be good, Blue,” she said, “No hard feelings. I just appreciate doing what Homebase tells us.” 

“I understand,” he said, “But as for where I was, it was MedBay…” 

_… **As he said, Blue was in MedBay.** The soft murmur and hum of the devices in the room acted as a lullaby, urging him to sleep on one of the many, medical beds. A month or so ago, White came banging on his Cabin door, trying to get medical help for Black. It was a bit confusing what happened, as she was panicked as she explained and Black was more focused on his pain than on answering questions, but from what Blue could gather, Black had caught a sharp piece of metal as he fell, piercing his hand rather than bracing the fall. Where the metal was? Blue didn’t know. Why Black had been out of Cabins? Blue also didn’t know, but it was easy to infer, seeing as he was with his girlfriend. It was an incident Yellow was aware of and as confusing as it was, Black had suffered enough with the injury and White, with the scare of it all. Neither of them bothered prying or exposing the details to the rest of the crew. Blue certainly didn’t plan to tell them all now. _

_The only thing they needed to know is that he was in MedBay in case of medical emergencies, not ruining someone else’s task…_

“... You’re a good medic, Blue,” Purple said, clapping him on the back. 

“Thank you,” Blue said, “I appreciate that, but I really don’t know what this is all going to accomplish? Is it possible you made a mistake with the wiring, Black?” 

“No,” Black said sharply, “I would’ve noticed if I did.” 

“Of course you would’ve,” Pink said. “We all would’ve noticed if something was out of the ordinary with our tasks. I don’t think it was Black, but what we do know is that at least two people were out of Cabins when the sabotage occurred. I don’t want to point fingers but…” Her voice trailed off, rising to a falsetto. 

“It is a little sus,” Cyan said, “Not that I think it was Green or Blue. I’m just curious to see who else was out of Cabins.” They looked around the room. Most people had cast their gaze away. 

“No one is sus,” Yellow mocked, getting a glare from Cyan. “Orange, you may start.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More about the characters!  
> Green:  
> -Formally G-SK41-3  
> -20 years old  
> -Name: Talako Miller  
> -Task room: Admin  
> -Fun Fact! Tula (Lime) is his younger sister :) 
> 
> Blue:  
> -Formally BU-SK41-4  
> -17 years old  
> -Name: Jeremiah Mithcell  
> -Task room: MedBay
> 
> Thank you all for the support! <3 I appreciate it all, and your kind comments, so much :)


	6. Where We Were Two Nights Ago: Orange

_...Have you ever been in love?_

_Like, really_ really _in love?_

_Keiko had been. She'd always been pretty and well-liked despite her soft-spoken attitude and was happy about that.  
It meant she never had to waste her time on things like worrying if she was good enough or being insecure about futile things.   
It meant that people constantly confessed their feelings for her since middle school.   
Maybe that was why, when she got to high school, and a new student by the name of Hiroaki didn't even bat an eye in her direction, she fell for him. Absolutely smitten, she would've died for him. Unfortunately, he never caught on to her love; they just parted ways. _

_It was hard to get Hiroaki out of her dreams and thoughts, so Keiko had done something crazy to make sure she forget him:_

_She'd gone to space._

_On the Skeld, especially with all the complications that happened so fast, it was easy to forget him. He was still in her heart and buried deep, deep in her mind, but with her task and everything new going on around her, Keiko managed to, miraculously, move on._

_She couldn't give work all the credit for her change of heart, though. There was someone special on the Skeld. She'd known they were special, from the very first moment she saw them. Their voice, echoing inside their helmet, sounded like honey. When they introduced themself, Keiko's knees had turned to jello at the very sound of it. Then, later on, when they slipped their helmet off in the Locker Room, her heart skipped a beat._

_Yellow, or Gautami, was the most beautiful girl Keiko had ever seen. Her hair was cut to her shoulders. Even after an entire day shoved into her helmet, it was shiny and smooth, swooshing this way and that as she moved her head. Her skin was dark, her eyes were warm, and her smile was like sunshine. Right then and there, Keiko knew, just as she knew instantly with Hiroaki, she was in love. She was going to do anything, absolutely anything, for Gautami..._

As Orange sat on the uncomfortable, Cafeteria bench, she gnawed on her bottom lip. Usually, she'd feel calm knowing Yellow was next to her, watching her with soft eyes behind her helmet. Tonight though, that gentle gaze felt a lot more painful than usual.

"You're stalling," Red said accusingly. "Just hurry up and spit it out. Where were you?" 

"There's no need to yell at her," Purple said. "If she's that nervous, I can go ahead and tell where I was." 

"I was in Cabins," Orange said quickly, glancing at Yellow. "I was in Cabins," she repeated with more certainty. "I was in bed, probably asleep or reading." 

_... **She hated lying.**_

_She really, really did._

_She'd hated it ever since she was a little girl. She admitted to every failed test, every broken vase. She couldn't even cover for her older brother when he got caught sneaking out without bursting into tears. She was impressed that she wasn't crying right now._

_The truth was, **she'd hadn't been in Cabins that night.** But with every glance towards Guatami, every thought of her, Keiko felt stronger. She could lie for Gautami and she _ would _lie for Gautami. She was sure Yellow was telling the truth when she said that she was in Cabins on that night. However, if Keiko were to start talking, it would only add stress to Gautami's schedule; she was already busy enough. So for her sake, Keiko would lie..._

"You don't sound so sure," Brown said. 

"Why would she lie?" Yellow asked, her hand coming to rest on Orange's back. "Orange has always been a good, honest worker." 

Butterflies sprang to life in Orange's stomach as she said, "Thank you, Yellow. I try." 

"Did anyone see Orange out of Cabins?" Red asked, still not persuaded. Apparently, that brief moment of hesitation had been enough to make him suspicious. Under the table, she twiddled her thumbs, fidgeting with anything she could reach and trying hard to release some of her nerves. She almost feared that if she kept them all inside, she might explode, then be nothing more than a mess of lies and love thrown about the walls. 

"To see her out of Cabins, _we'd_ have to be out of Cabins," Cyan said, "So if anyone did, they're just as suspicious as she is. Purple, you're next to her Cabin. Did you hear her leave?" 

Purple gave an awkward, flustered smile. "Well, I wasn't exactly in my Cabin, so I can't be sure." 

Yellow sighed. "You too? We seriously need to have a discussion about proper conduct on the Sekld," she said. "We have protocol for a reason, people." Orange nodded her agreement. 

"So you're out of Cabins to make up work," Red said, pointing at Green. Then, motioning to Blue, "And _you're_ out of Cabins to work better, and Purple's out of Cabins to kiss Pink." 

"That's not true," Pink rushed to say, coming to her and Purple's defense. 

"So, you're going to tell us that you were in your Cabin all night?" 

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Point made." 

Red turned to Purple. "Is that the full story, or do you need to talk crap like everyone else?" 

Purple gave a half-hearted shrug. "That's the whole story, I guess." Slowly, she sat back down next to Pink. "We can move on to the next person." 

Everyone looked at Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interested to know how y'all are liking the characters so far? Thank you all for reading <3


	7. Where We Were That Night: Black

_...Fitting in, or rather, blending in, was something Black greatly valued._

_When he met Lana at Homebase, Black decided that she fit him like a glove. They were perfect together, blending seamlessly, though he was aware of how odd they looked together. Not only was she tiny in stature next to him and her color his exact opposite, but her personality was also everything he wasn't. He'd always believed in_ opposites attract _even if it wasn't for the typical reasons._

 _His mother had married many men opposite her. Loud drunks, reserved dweebs, wealthy old men; it had never gone well romantically for Госпожа Alekseeva, his dear, departed mother. However, it always put a roof over their heads and always kept him out of his father's reach. A nasty man, Iosif Lebedev was always in pursual of them. It was hard for Black to say if his father loved him and his mother, or simply wanted something to use as a mask so he too could blend in. His mother always told him,_ "Grigori, your father is a dangerous man surrounded by dangerous people. All the riches in the world, all the comfort he can offer us, is not worth that danger. I do this to keep you safe."

_So she'd changed her name, married some old dude, and Grigori too received a new name. Gone were Grisha Iosifovich Lebedev and his mother, Katenka Alekseeva, two people who Iosif could track. Instead, Grigori was taught that names could be shed like the skin of a snake and that people could be worn like clothes, something you take off and replace when it got too worn. He'd also learned that sometimes, the unusual pairings make the best couples when you really want to conceal yourself. If all attention is on the absurdity of your relationship, then who's going to wonder who you are? They're far too busy wondering why you married that man or why you dated that girl._

_That was Lana.  
Good, sweet Lana, who he was quite partial to. She wasn't anything like his mother; God rest her soul. His mother was the only good woman in his life until he met Lana. She had been confident, proud, and stronger than anyone he'd ever met. She'd had a tongue like a blade that could cut through anyone, be it a landlord demanding extra payment, a schoolyard bully tugging on Grigori's hair, or the heart of an evil man who always seemed just a step behind. _

_So, when she passed away, Black knew that the only way he could really get away from Iosif was to leave Earth entirely..._

"...I was with White," Black said, "in Weapons." He looked at her. She nodded... 

... _By any means necessary, Black was going to keep himself safe, covered, and blended in. With Lana at his side, he always had an alibi. He had a companion. It was a lonely life, always running, but his mother had taught him that when you have one good person at your side, it's a lot easier and a lot less lonely. When he'd met Lana, he'd expected her to be nothing more than his newest clothing article, just as his mother had treated all her husbands, but the more he was around her, the easier it became to see her like a real girlfriend. She was loving and gentle in a way no one had ever been with him. Around her, he could let all his walls down. There were things about him she didn't know, but there was time for her to learn them. In their own private universe, Black and White had all the time in the world..._

"...You were in Weapons together?" Yellow asked, looking to White for confirmation. 

"Yeah," she said. Under the table, her hand came to rest on Black's leg, her gloved fingers clawing into the material of his suit. His hand found hers, holding it. She was concealing her anxieties so well that under his helmet, he couldn't help but give a fond smile. Though their situation wasn't ideal, Lana had his back, and they were watching out for each other. 

"If White and Black want alone time, I think it's fair that they should go to Weapons or Electrical," Cyan said. "Gives them some privacy. It's not like they're invading anyone else's task." 

"Then that's settled," Green said, "Black and White were in Weapons. That leaves Brown, Cyan, and Lime." 

"This is taking too damn long," Red muttered angrily, pulling his helmet off and running a hand through his hair. "Can someone just admit to it already?" 

"Why are you so angry? What if you're lying and just trying to pin the blame on someone else?" Lime challenged. 

"Let's not argue," White said shakily, standing up. "I can get started on dinner. Does anyone want to help?" 

"I will," Orange offered with a smile, standing up with her. 

White gave a nod, pausing as Black caught her hand. She turned back to look at him, the burn of tears in her eyes. She wanted to get out of the Cafeteria and fast before her frustration built and spilled over. He would've given her a smile or a kiss if his helmet hadn't been in the way. Instead, he opted for a quick thumbs-up. She forced a smile, pulled away her hand, and turned away. 

"Thanks for the help, Keiko," she said, heading to the kitchens of the Cafeteria. 

Yellow sighed. "I guess we'll continue once the food is ready," she said. "You're all welcome to mingle."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3


	8. Cooking It Up

... _What didn't phase Grigori phased Lana.  
**She wasn't a liar** , especially not in her friendships.  
How she could look Yellow in her masked eyes, tell her she was in Weapons with Black that night, and have the crew accept that as the truth, she didn't know.  
She must be some kind of bad person. _

_The monster whispering in her ear told her she was doing the right thing and that by doing this thing, she was saving them and finally being useful. Stupid, stupid Lana couldn't be trusted to call the shots on her own. Instead, she should listen to him, the monster, and do as he advised so they could be safe and happy together. When she looked to find who this monster was and where its annoying voice was coming from, all she saw was Grigori._

_She kept silent, holding tight to his hand as he spoke. They'd loved one another since they met. They'd probably love one another forever, but the guilt of lying still weighed heavy on her soul, especially when people came to her defense..._

Orange sat down at a counter in the kitchen. "What's wrong?" she asked. "You're sad." 

White, her back turned to Orange, wiped her eyes. "I'm not." 

Orange gave a small smile. "It's obvious. You're crying. What's up?" 

"Nothing," she said, "I just cry anytime I'm stressed. Seeing Black get accused like that... it's hard to handle, you know?" 

Orange tried to comfort her. "No one was really accusing him. I thought he was innocent all along," she said. "Good guy, Black. If you two want some alone time, I don't see why you can't be allowed to go to Electrical or Weapons. It's romantic." 

... _Lana's stomach did flips. So that was the defense? Romance? That they should be allowed to sneak around in Weapons and Electrical together?  
It wasn't a whole lie, but it wasn't a whole truth either.  
**She'd been in Weapons** , but Black? _

_**Black had been in Electrical**... ___

__"...Thank you," White said. "That's very sweet of you to say, Keiko." She looked around the kitchen, trying to find inspiration._ _

__The kitchen was small. White was pretty sure that the pantry connecting to it was even bigger than it was. It had a stale smell in the air, something like cabbage. Her nose crinkled. Any attempt to scrub out the smell just added something new to the awful concoction. Take her word for it; you don't want to be cooking tomato soup while the hot air of the kitchen reeks of cabbage and bleach._ _

__"I think we should make something special today," she decided, "Something to lighten the mood. Everyone's so upset."_ _

__Orange smiled. "We haven't had any pineapple in a while. Do you think that sounds good?" She got up from the counter, heading to the pantry._ _

__"Yeah, and get some fresh bread while you're at it," White called to her. "Soup would be good too, don't you think?"_ _

__"Not the tomato," Orange called back._ _

__"The beef stew, then?"_ _

__There was no response, only shuffling and sliding in the pantry. Eventually, after White had fetched the trays from a cabinet, Orange emerged with two large cans, one of the soup, the other of pineapple cubes, and a loaf of bread._ _

__"It's a bit early for a special meal," White said, taking the soup can from Orange, "But I think tonight calls for it. You can start setting up the trays if you'd like." She poured the contents of the heavy can into a pot then set it on a burner of the stove._ _

__Orange watched thoughtfully. "Did you know Black before you got on the Skeld?"_ _

__White shook her head. "We met in the Homebase training. What about you and Yellow?"_ _

__Orange blushed, nervously brushing her hair from her face. With an awkward chuckle, she said, "What?"_ _

__"It seems like you like her."_ _

__"I dunno," Orange said shyly, tracing shapes on the stainless steel countertop. "Me and Yellow? Could you really see that?"_ _

__White caught the hopeful tone in her voice and frowned. She got it herself so often when talking about Black. "Maybe," she said, "It's hard to say. I don't know Yellow very well, but people tell me they can't see me with Black because we're so different, so I wouldn't take anyone's word for it. Just do what feels right."_ _

__"Does it feel right," Orange asked, "Being with Black?"_ _

__White stirred the strew. As it heated, the scent of the room was thinly covered by the smell of spices. It was a rich stew, nice and hearty, something sorta like a hug._ _

__"Of course it does. I love him. He's a wonderful person, just misunderstood. Even I have trouble understanding him sometimes."_ _

__"What do you mean?"_ _

___... _What did she mean? There were some things she didn't understand, like why Black always had to go left foot to right foot, never the opposite order, when putting on his socks and boots or why he wouldn't eat the crust of his bread despite being twenty-two years old.  
But she also didn't understand why he was in Electrical the night of the sabotage. She didn't understand why he was creating this lie. She thought at first that he was innocent, just misspoke when he said he found the wires disturbed the following morning, but then he'd lied.  
She'd been working in Weapons with a plan to see him later that night once she finished up her work, but he'd joined her in her Task room instead of Cabins. She was given a kiss, but not an explanation when she'd asked why he was there, though it was obvious now. He was hiding, creating his alibi...___ _

__"...Nothing," she quickly said. She heard Orange sigh._ _

__"I think it's sweet that you two met through Homebase," she said. "It's like a movie."_ _

__"I don't know about that," White said, smiling despite herself. "But it does feel like a dream sometimes."_ _

__"I want to be like that with Yellow," Orange said softly._ _

__"Why not make a move then? I don't think anything bad can come from telling her you like her." She turned to look at Orange. "You're sweet, you're smart, you're pretty."_ _

__Orange smiled. "Thank you," she said, "But Yellow is so _perfect_. I want to impress her, do something to catch her attention." _ _

__"You could cook her something, make her a card, I think Purple and Red could help you write a song," White said, listing things off on her fingers. She gave Orange an encouraging smile. "Red plays guitar. Purple plays the keyboard."_ _

__"That's all good, but it's _Yellow_. I want to do something really special," she said, brushing her hair from her face once again. _ _

__"Options are limited in outer space," White said, giving the stew a thoughtful stir. "What does Yellow like?"_ _

__"The Skeld."_ _

__"Then the best thing to do is be a good crewmate. I think you already do a great job at that." She passed Orange a can-opener for the pineapples. "You offered to help me in the kitchen and you checked on me. You're a very good crewmate."_ _

__"You think that's enough to get Yellow's attention?"_ _

__"I think so."_ _

__"How'd you get Black's attention?" Orange asked._ _

__"I don't know," White said. "He just approached me one day at training. We found it funny that our color assignments went together. Black and White, you know? I knew we'd be sticking together." She didn't hear as Orange said something about Yellow and Orange being complimenting colors too as her mind drifted to Black._ _

__Sure, they did stick together,  
But at what cost?_ _


	9. Where We Were That Night

White rolled a squeaking trolly cart into the Cafeteria, interrupting everyone's conversations. The meeting had overlapped with the time that dinner would be served, so the silence was a sign of the crew's waiting hunger. Orange followed behind her, a basket of napkins and silverware in her hands. "Soup tonight," Orange announced for White, who wasn't a big fan of speaking to the whole crew. "Beef." 

"Thank y'all," Pink said, her head on Purple's shoulder. In many people's opinion, the meeting had dragged on far too long, and finally getting to eat seemed to be a sign that the end was on the horizon. 

"Do you need help passing out trays?" Blue asked, already standing. 

"That's okay," Orange said, "I've got it." On an empty table nearby, as the whole crew had squeezed into one, she set the basket down. "We have pineapple, beef stew, and fresh bread." 

"Pineapple?" Yellow repeated. "It's not Friday yet. We always save the good fruit for Friday." 

"I know," Orange said softly, "But White and I thought it might boost team morale after the meeting." 

"That's a great idea," Black said, getting up with Blue to help unload the trolley. "Always having good ideas, aren't you, Lana?" 

She looked up at him. "I guess so," she said with a soft laugh, reaching up to touch the dark glass of his helmet. He dodged her touch though. 

"Smudges," he said. "I don't want smudges." He unfastened the clasps securing the helmet to the suit and pulled it off, setting it on a bench. "Now-" 

"No canoodling in front of the dinner trolley," Yellow said, pulling a tray off the top and going back to her seat. 

Unphased, Black pressed a hand to the back of White's head, pushing gently as she rose to her tiptoes to reach his face as they kissed, heat radiating off her as she felt the crew watching. _How embarrassing._

"I don't think I've ever seen your face before, Black," Cyan said, full of wonder and shock more over the reveal of his un-helmeted head than the kiss. White turned away, clearing her throat awkwardly as Black gave a small shrug, taking a glass of water from the trolley and going to sit at an empty table. Red followed, probably not wanting to be bothered by crewmates who'd try to make conversation. Yellow, her helmet removed to eat, now without her second-in-command, looked desperately after him before Orange plopped down at her side. 

"Akiyama," Yellow said, "Good job with dinner." 

Trying hard to hide a proud smile, Orange stirred her stew. "Thank you," she said, "It's my pleasure. Just want to do my part on the Skeld." 

"As we all should," Yellow said, "But not everyone seems to get that." She sighed, her spoon tapping on the plastic of the tray. 

Nervously, Orange placed her hand on Yellow's arm. "You okay?" 

"Sure," she said with a smile, "But most of the crew kinda disagrees with my leadership. You're one of the only ones who seems to approve of what I'm doing." 

Orange was quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say. She quickly squeezed Yellow's arm, hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt, and gave a thoughtful nod. "Maybe they just don't understand what you're going for," she said, "But that doesn't make it wrong how you do things. I understand." 

Yellow looked at her, hope in her wonderful, brown eyes. It was like the air was cut off from Orange's throat when she saw them. _Yellow was so beautiful._ "You do?" 

"Well, sure. We're all young, this was only our first mission. We were supposed to have SK41 and SK42 here to guide us," she said. "You have to be strict or nothing would or nothing would get done. Who cares if the crew thinks you're naggy." 

"They think I'm naggy?" Yellow's brow was furrowed, her voice concerned. 

"No!" Orange rushed to say, "I used the wrong word." 

"Overbearing, then," Yellow said, head dropping to her hands. She rubbed her temples, staring down at her tray. "Annoying, stuck-up, a mother hen." 

"Nothing like that," Orange assured her. "Most people here just don't get it. They don't understand the gravity of our mission. I do though," she said, moving her hand to reach for Yellow's, to pull them away from her face. "I get you, too."   
There was an adoring, slightly obsessive, air to her voice and actions that even she could pick up, but what was the point in trying to correct it? She didn't think she could if she tried. Black, Red, Blue, and White had all gone to sit together. Green was nearby Orange and Yellow but was uninterested in whatever they were doing. Cyan, Lime, Pink, Purple, and Brown had all gone to a new table too, crowding in together. So, she and Yellow were practically invisible. 

"It's a very serious mission. We can't afford to goof off. You _do_ get it," Yellow said, sitting up straighter and letting her hands fall- unfortunately, not into Orange's. "Thank you, Akiyama. Even if they all think I'm mean or _naggy_ , I know I'm leading the Skeld the right way. After all, we're not here to make friends." But then she looked at Orange. 

Orange's heart skipped a beat. It was pounding madly in her chest, so much so that she was afraid Green, who sat opposite them, nose in a book he'd pulled out of nowhere, could hear it. Her hand nearly went to her chest, trying to feel the madness and shove it back down into her body, afraid that her heart would simply burst out and flop into Yellow's lap. Yellow seemed to glow as she smiled tenderly at Orange. 

"Even so, I do think we could be friends, Akiyama," she said, then corrected herself, " _Keiko_." 

Orange never wanted to hear anyone say her name ever again. It wouldn't sound nearly as perfect. 

Without warning or another utter of Orange's name, Yellow stood. "Brown, please proceed with the topic of the meeting. Where were you on the night of the sabotage?" 

Brown glanced over, mouth full of bread. _...On the night of the Sabotage, **they'd been in Cabins.** So uninteresting compared to everyone else, they'd gotten their work done early that night, which they always tried to do. You get your work done before anyone else, you have the Locker Room to yourself and you have more time in Cabins to do whatever you want. For Kameo, that meant extra time for art, extra time playing their favorite album, extra time basking in the sweet scent of their favorite candle, Lavender Blueberry. This whole ordeal was nothing but annoying..._

"That's right," Purple said, "Because when I was coming back to Cabins, I saw you leaving the Lockers." 

"Why were you in the Locker Room?" Red asked. 

"Bathroom," Brown said, shooting him a glare. "Haven't you ever had to take a piss in the middle of the night? It doesn't mean I was out chopping wires in Electrical." 

"The wires weren't chopped," Black said. "They were just yanked wrong. No skill or tools required. Any of you could've done it." 

"It's starting to seem like no one did it. Can we drop it?" Brown said. 

"Not yet," Yellow said, silencing the angry muttering and concerned murmurs. "We haven't heard from you yet, Cyan." 

Cyan looked up from their tray. "Me? I was with Lime." 

Lime nodded. "We were in my Cabin." 

"It was a slumber party," Cyan said, "Or was supposed to be but no one else showed up. Kinda dorky now that I say it aloud, but it was fun." 

"First of all, the Skeld isn't for _slumber parties_ , Moncada," Yellow said, "And if it were, I'd expect you to invite everyone." 

"Yeah," Lime said, gently punching Cyan's arm. "We should've invited the whole Skeld because _everyone_ could fit inside my Cabin." 

"No sassing the commander, Tula," Green said, snapping his book shut. "Yellow's right. Out of all the behavior we've heard tonight, having a sleepover when we have work in the morning is probably the most inappropriate." 

"As cute as it is that the couples like to sneak around together, I think it's unfair that they get a free pass to be out of dorms," Brown said. 

"You're not wrong, Mahelona. Neither are you, Miller," Yellow said, "But those are problems to be addressed later on. You all expect me to believe that _nobody_ was in Electrical two nights ago? How'd it get sabotaged then?" 

"I think Black just screwed up," Brown said, "And is too embarrassed to admit." 

"Maybe you're shitty at your task, Brown, but I'm good at mine," Black said with a sneer. "Though I suppose we can't compare Reactor to Electrical. All you do is stare at the stupid thing and cry to Engines when something goes wrong." 

"That's not true! Reactor is just as important as Electrical," Brown cried out defensively, angrily. "Just because I don't sit around brooding in a dark room all day doesn't mean I'm not working too! Doesn't anyone find it weird that he said he was sneaking around with his girlfriend the night of sabotage?" 

"So were Pink and Purple," Orange pointed out. "It doesn't instantly make them sus." 

" _Shouldn't it though? _"__

__"Mahelona, Krasnoff, that's _enough_!" Yellow said, slamming her hands down on the table. The crew went still and silent. "Brown, you're dismissed to Cabins." _ _

__"But-"_ _

__"You are _dismissed._ " She watched them walk out. the Cafeteria door slammed shut behind them, echoing around the large room. Slowly, she sat back down with a sigh. _ _

__When the crew realized there would be no more yelling, talking slowly resumed, though much quieter than before. Orange sat frozen though. She felt like she might burst. The power, the control, the grace, and elegance Yellow had even when so heated...she was perfect._ _

__"I think you handled that really well," she complimented._ _

__"Thank you, even if that's not true. If I had handled it well, none of that would've happened in the first place," Yellow said. "What do you think about Brown? You too, Green."_ _

__Green looked over at them. "What do you mean?"_ _

__"I mean, do you think they're suspicious? _Sus,_ as you all say?" _ _

__"I mean, how angry they got is a bit weird, since they're usually so calm," Orange said nervously. "They acted completely out of character. Really weird of them to go for Black like that. If anything, he's the victim here. I'd be so upset if anyone messed with O2. It means extra work."_ _

__"Yeah, Brown was really weird tonight," Green agreed. "What are you going to do about it, Yellow?"_ _

__"Monitor them," Yellow said, "And if the odd behavior continues, I believe we've found our imposter."_ _

__"And then what?" Orange asked._ _

__"I send them back to Homebase." Yellow stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to Navigation." Orange watched her leave, unsure of what to say._ _

__"She'll send Brown back to Homebase?" Orange said, turning to face Green again. "I wasn't even aware that was something she could do."_ _

__"There's not much Yellow can't do. She's in charge of the whole Skeld," he said. "If she wanted to throw someone out into space without their helmet, she probably could. Just that much power."_ _

__"And Homebase wouldn't say anything?"_ _

__"Sure, they'd say something, but the crew would be powerless. That was what Homebase taught us," he said, "You always listen to the Y-SK41-1. Navigation is always in charge."_ _

__"Yellow would never do that," Orange said with a frown._ _

__"I don't think so either. We're lucky," Green said. "If someone like Red was in charge, it'd probably be happening every other week."_ _

__Orange took a small bite of her bread. Today was like a roller coaster, so many ups and downs, but at the very least, Yellow had called her a friend._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowza! Extra-long chapter :) hope y'all like it  
> I'm curious, what do y'all play as in Among Us? I'm lime with cowboy hat <3


	10. Cabins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly so bad at titling chapters. Who knows what this should be called? Lime and Cyan gossip? No more sleepovers because Yellow said so? Who knows ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

"Can you believe that?" Line asked, shoving into Cyan's room without warning. They jumped, yanking their pajama shirt down, but Lime just rolled their eyes with a snort of laughter. "Calm down, it's just me." She pulled the door shut behind her and flopped down on one of the beds. 

"Still, it wouldn't kill you to knock," Cyan said, tugging on a loose pair of shorts. Leisure clothes were the highlight of every day. Getting out of the uncomfortable, sweaty suit and getting to feel the soft fabric of an old shirt was like getting a hug from their mother. They wore an old marching band t-shirt, worn and faded, from some competition or trip Cyan had gone on. There'd been so many that they really couldn't remember. It smelled like the sterile laundry detergent used on the Skeld, not like home anymore, but memories still clung to it. Their shorts could've been boxers, large and loose, but they were the most comfortable thing Cyan owned, even more so than the old band shirt. They slipped on their fuzzy bunny slippers and sat down on the bottom bunk bed, opposite Lime. 

It was obvious she'd just left the Lockers. A towel hung around her shoulder, her long, dark hair dripping water. She wore a pale pink nightgown, decorated with butterflies and lace detailing,. It was soft and cutesy, so unlike Lime's brash personality that Cyan nearly giggled, but held back, casting their gaze to their bunny slippers instead. "There's talk about Brown getting kicked off the Skeld," Lime said, taking a brush off Cyan's bedside table. She started to work it through her own hair. 

"Do you think they really did it?" Cyan asked. 

"No one else was as angry as they were," Lime said, "not even me and Red." She laughed at her own joke then said, "There's no reason to be so angry unless you're desperate to prove your own innocence or something. And what was with them accusing Black like that?" 

"What's with _you_ defending Black? I thought you hated him. Wouldn't you be happy if he got booted?" 

"I don't like the jerk, but I don't want him sent back to Homebase over something he didn't even do. I'll feel a lot safer when Brown's gone is all I mean. I've been wanting the imposter gone since the first murder." 

"Haven't we all?" Cyan mused with a sigh, laying down. "I'd hoped they'd left when SK42 got sent home, but I guess not." 

Lime lay down too. "First the wires are messed up," she said, "But what's next? Someone's _face_ being messed up? Creepy." 

Cyan turned to face her, smiling softly. They were tired; the night had been exhausting. "I don't think we should worry. Brown leaving will probably make it stop. Maybe Homebase will reconnect then." 

"Will they even receive Brown if they're disconnected?" 

"They should. The escape pods are programmed to instantly return to Homebase," they said. "There's no navigation or communication needed. They travel a lot faster than the Skeld does too, so there's no need to worry about Brown starving or something." 

"God," Lime said, sitting up again, running a hand through her now detangled hair, "I hadn't even thought about that." 

"Well, don't start. They'll be fine." 

"Everyone was so high strung tonight," Lime complained. "And what was with Black kissing White in front of everyone? So gross." She got off the bed and began pacing around the room. 

"Do you like Black or something?" Cyan asked. 

She made a face. "Gross, Pau!" she cried, "That's disgusting. They guy's ancient compared to me too." 

"So you like White?" 

"Everything doesn't have to be romantic, you know!" She snatched a pillow off the bed, tossing it at them. "Can't we just focus on space and imposters?" 

Cyan caught the pillow with a laugh, hugging it to their chest. "But isn't it kinda fun to talk about crushes and friends? It's a lot more fun than Engines or Communications." 

"I dunno. I like working." 

"I'm sure I would if my task actually served any purpose." 

"If you hate it so much, why don't you ask Yellow if you can become the permanent Cafeteria cleaner? That's all she seems to think we're good at." 

" _Anything_ would be better than cleaning Cafeteria," Cyan said, "Even cruddy Communications." 

"I can't believe that old hag told us no more slumber parties," Lime said, sitting once again. She perched herself on the footboard of the full bed. 

"Probably just jealous we never invite her," Cyan said. "If we don't get caught, I don't see why we really have to stop?" 

"Maybe it's for the best right now. Everyone's suspicious of each other. Besides, I don't wanna get caught alone with Brown. They might off me."

“Still, it’s a bummer. Having you and Pink and White over was always so fun.”

“Even though White usually ditched to suck face with Black,” Lime said, “and Pink’s starting to do the same. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for her and Purple but daaaang. I don’t get what’s so good about kissing someone.”

Cyan gave a small shrug. “I had a boyfriend back home,” they said, “but we broke up a little while before I joined Homebase. Kissing him was fun. I think you just have to like the person you’re kissing enough.”

“Don’t you get sappy on me. I can’t afford to lose my best friend too.”

Cyan grinned. “I’m your best friend?”

Lime smiled too, trying to hide a blush. “Duh. Obviously.”

“You dork,” Cyan said, glancing at the clock that hung on their wall. They frowned. “It’s late. You should probably go back to your Cabin before Yellow catches us and loses her head.” 

Lime groaned. “You’re right. Goodnight, Cyan.”

Cyan gave a small wave, leaned back comfortably in bed. “Night, Lime,” they said, “See you tomorrow.” They watched Lime go, settling into the silence of their Cabin.


	11. Over The Walkie-Talkie

Once the excitement of the sabotage and accusations had faded, Cyan was left alone with fear. Every sound made them jump. They’d spin around in their chair to see who was there. Was it Brown, coming to kill them? They always assumed the worst, their hand darting out to grab a pen off their desk, grasping it like a dagger, ready to chuck it at the intruder. But the noise always ended up being nothing more than a figment of their imagination; a noise of the Skeld that their anxieties exaggerated. The door to Communications never opened and Brown never crashed their task. 

Technically, saying Cyan was left alone with fear was _wrong_. In fact, there was another, greater emotion who had slipped back into their company in the last few days: boredom.  
Boring, boring boredom.  
How the hours dragged by in Communications. It lulled Cyan into a dreary, sleepy state that was only interrupted by the bells calling them to meals or to Cabins after a workday, or the scary sounds that ate at their mind. Spare for those few interruptions, the stuffy room hugged them, the beep of the computer monitors sang to them, and the crackle of the walkie-talkie, which Cyan had begun to keep on after the last incident, hissed so sweetly to them from their utility belt. It became a song that Cyan could sing themself, which is why they really didn't appreciate the soft static of the walkie-talkie picking up in intensity and volume until a voice broke across it; "Cyan, you there?" 

It took them a moment to even register the sound. Their feet were heavy and numb, their chin rested on their hands, and their elbows ached against the hard surface of the desk. It was late in the day and they hadn't been expecting to hear their name. They paused, not even realizing where the voice had come from. "Yeah?" they asked the empty room, glancing over their shoulders. The door to Communications was still shut. They sighed. "That's it, Pau," they said to themself, slumping back into their chair, "You've finally lost it." 

But again, a voice asked, "Cyan, are you there?" 

There was silence. The room was the same as before during this moment of silence, where Cyan seriously considered their own sanity. 

"Cyan, it's Brown. Pick up your walkie." 

_Oh._ They let out a sigh of relief, happy to have their mind for at least a few moments more. The relief quickly washed away though. Brown? _Brown?_ What did they want? Cyan's hands went to their belt, unclipping the walkie-talkie. It was some modern model that Homebase provided. Cyan recalled how the advisors at Homebase bragged about the stupid things. With a dark gray color, a size close to that of a smartphone and a circular speaker in the "belly" of the device, they greatly resembled the real deal. However, above the speaker were little buttons, each one in a color matching the Task colors. After selecting a colored button, then pressing the little record button on the right-side of the walkie-talkie, your message would be recorded and sent to the selected color. Their fingers shook as they pressed the brown button, turning down the volume using the buttons on the left-side of the walkie-talkie; they couldn't have anyone hear them communicating with the imposter. 

"Yeah, Brown?" they asked. 

They heard Brown sigh over the crackly sound of the walkie-talkie. "Thank God," they said, "You answered." 

"Yeah," was all Cyan could say. 

Brown finally spoke again after waiting for Cyan to say something more. "Look, I don't know how else to say this, but I'm not the imposter. I've never worked for Achilles Fax. The real impsoters- there's three of 'em- they probably want me gone because they know I know too much. That's why Black is targetting me." 

Cyan stared blankly at the wall in front of them. Imposters, as in more than one? Brown claiming innocence? Brown still accusing Black? They nearly laughed. Maybe they really were losing their mind. "What are you talking about?" 

"A while ago, I overheard Black talking to someone over the walkie-talkies. It was in the middle of the night, I'd slipepd out to the Locker Room to go to the bathroom, he was in there and didn't see me until he was leaving," Brown rambled. "That's why he wants me gone. He probably snapped those wires just knowing I'd take the bait and-" 

"If you knew he was the imposter, why wouldn't you report it to Yellow?" 

Another break of silence. Cyan's heart hammered in their chest. Their grapse on the walkie-talkie grew damp. 

"She wouldn't have beleieved me," Brown said softly, "And I didn't hear who Black was talking to or what they were doing. I just know he mentioned doign _something_ for Achilles Fax. He swore loyalty to them. I was going to watch him and-" 

"Why are you telling me all this?" 

"Because you're Communications!" Brown cried, exapserated. "Somewhere in there should be a device that allows you to tune into all other task rooms. I doubt Yellow or Red or any of those other clowns know about it, but I was reading old, Skeld manuals from the first mission, and it's suppsoed to be in there! I don't know if it will work because Homebase disconnected, but I'm usually wrong about stuff like that. Cyan, you're my last hope. I know they're going to send me to Homebase, but if you have that device and can listen in to what's happening, maybe you can find out what Black is up to, who the other imposters are. If you keep it secret then no one will know and you'll be safe. You can-" 

There was a scream of static. Silence once again. 

Cyan waited. 

More silence. 

Again, they pressed the brown button. "Brown? Are you there?"  
No response.  
They stood up. "Brown, is everything alright?"  
Defeaning silence.  
"Kameo, please say something." 

For a moment, the buzz of the walkie-talkie shifted, sounding something like heavy breathing across the line. Cyan tossed the walkie-talkie to the groud, surprised, as if the offending noise could slip out through the speaker of the thing, coming to attack them. When the breathing stopped, they sat down. Brown didn't attempt to reach them for at least an hour, an hour which Cyan spent in their chair, staring straight ahead, until alarm coursed through them, bringing them to their feet once again. 

"A device," they murmrued to themself urgently, "a device that will let me listen in on the other task rooms." There was a file cabinet beside the door to Communications. There were many drawers in their desk that they hadn’t ever bothered to snoop through. There was a waste basket, a map of the Skeld on the wall; nothing fancy, certainly not some leftover relic from the first Skeld mission. They supposed it could be inside the desk or the filing cabinet, but after searching through every drawer of the desk, their heart was beginning to sink. They didn't have much time before the dinenr alarm rang and they couldn't fight the sense of dread building in them. What had happened to Brown? Was this all some creul prank? Or were they right to take it so seriously? If something had happend to Brown as they feared had, or if Brown was being kicked out because everyone wrongly thought they were the imposter, surely Cyan owed them this, right? _Right?_ Cyan's mother always said they tried too hard to be the good guy and they were starting to think she was right. It would be easy to just forget this whole ordeal and report it to Yellow once the day ended, but something in them ached at the sound of Brown's terrified voice over the walkie-talkie. Brown trusted Cyan, they needed their help, and they had advised that, for Cyan's own safety, this should be kept a secret. 

So lost in thought, Cyan didn't even notice as their feet carried them across the floor littered with papers strewn from the desk, to the file cabinet. They fell to their knees, pulling open the bottom drawer. A folder, some papers, an old clipboard and...a dusty box. Cyan peered down at it. It was cardboard, something scribbled on it in messy cursive. They squinted their eyes, trying to read what was written, but only making out a few letters. “S...I...W...B?" they read. "What the hell is a SIWB?" 

They reached into the drawer, pulling out the box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support! I can’t believe we hit 1,000 views! :D  
> Also, y’all should check out “There Is One Imposter Among Us” if you’re looking for a good Among Us fan-fiction!! I’m really loving it rn :)


	12. Friendly Dinner Conversation

Cyan couldn't eat. It wasn't like they usually ate much, but right now, their stomach was in knots. They hadn't even bothered taking their helmet off. They kept it on and silently stared down at their tray, leg bouncing nervously under the table. Pink gave them a funny look. "What's up, Cyan?" she asked. "You seem scared." 

"I don't blame them!" Lime said. "Didn't you hear what happened?" All eyes turned to her. "They ejected Brown." 

"What?" Cyan finally looked up, their voice rising in urgency. 

"They were the imposter," Pink said, "And I was right across the hall from them. I feel a lot safer knowing they're gone. It sounds like they put up a fight though." 

"What do you mean?" 

"There was a loud crash and some shouting a little while before lunch." 

"Did you see what happened? Like, who escorted them out?" White asked, concerned. Her hands were shaking, but she tried to hide it, folding them together on her lap. 

"No, none of us in that hall saw. Yellow came by a little while before and told us to keep our doors shut, ignore any noise."

"Yellow?" White and Cyan both asked. They glanced at each other then looked away. 

Pink regarded them with a funny look. "Yeah. She told me they were asking them to be ejected and that they'd probably put up a fight," she explained, "wanted us to be ready. I know you're not her biggest fan, Pau, but I appreciate her telling me. Brown _killed_ people. What if they got mad and ran at us?"

"Weren't you their friend?" Cyan challenged. 

"Yeah, before I knew they were a murderer." Her fork scraped on her tray. 

"We don't really know that. All we have is Black's word for it." 

"Black didn't do anything," White said sadly. "I know Lime doesn't like him, but now you, Cyan? Where's your proof?" 

"I mean, I don't have any, but there's not much proof for either of them. I just think it's a little fast to give Brown the boot. What happened to watch them for longer?" 

"I just want to feel safe again. I don't know why you're getting so mad. You were talking about how freaked you were just the other night," Lime said. "What gives?" 

Cyan groaned, finally pulling off their helmet. "So none of you think it's weird? Brown was never violent before and now, we're supposed to accept that they fought Yellow when she came to escort them out?" 

" _No_ , We're supposed to accept that they fought Green and Red," Pink said. "They were with Yellow." 

"That doesn't exactly make it better. Green and Red could snap Brown like a twig," White said. She tugged anxiously on a strand of her hair. "Can we please talk about something else?" 

"Sure," Pink said, patting her on the back, "This isn't very friendly dinner conversation." 

"It's important though," Lime protested. 

Cyan nodded in agreement. "Look, I just think it's weird. This whole situation. All this commotion coming from some wires being messed up." 

"It's more than that though, Pau! Black's wires were damaged and that's the first time an imposter has acted since SK41 and SK42 got sent out. It's better to catch the problem before it gets worse. We don't have Homebase to save our asses this time." 

"Weren't you with the people who found bodies last time that shit happened?" Pink asked. 

Lime looked at her, a solemn expression on her face. "Yeah, me and Black were with SK42 when the bodies were found."

"Did you see anything?" 

She stared down at her lap. "You mean other than the blood and the mangled corpses? Not really." White gasped softly. Lime looked up at her. "What?" 

"Mangled?" she said. "I knew it was bad, but I was just told they were stabbed once or twice." 

Lime shook her hair, her braids swishing around her face left to right, left to right. "No. It was bad, dude. Took me so long to sleep it off. Still get bad nightmares." 

Cyan smiled sympathetically at Lime. "You're strong, man. We don't really have to talk about this if it's upsetting you." 

"No, it's fine...just weird to think about again after a while? We didn't see anyone nearby and it looked like they'd been there for a while. There were limbs severed, heads popped off. Whoever the imposter was, if it was Black...they were really bloodthirsty. They showed no mercy." 

White wiped her eyes with the back of a gloved hand, sniffling softly. "I'm so sorry you had to see that, Lime," she said, standing abruptly. "I'm really, really sorry. I hadn't realized it was so bad." 

"It's not your fault, Lana," Lime said with a sheepish smile. "There's no need to get so worked up. I'm fine, really." 

"Are you okay, White?" PInk asked. 

White gave a nod that looked like more of a bounce of her. "I just need to see Black. Again, Lime, I'm so sorry." She left quickly. 

Lime stared after her. "Did I say something wrong?" 

"Nah," Pink said, taking a slow sip of her water. "White's just sensitive. She probably wants to check on Black now that she knows the murders were worse than she thought. Honestly, I'm surprised too." She glanced at Cyan. They'd been quiet. "You good, Cyan?" 

Cyan, who had been lost in thought, turned to her. "Huh?" 

"Are you good?" Pink repeated. 

"Oh, yeah," they said, standing and picking up their dinner tray. "I just need to get back to Communications. Lots of extra work today." 

"Work? In Communications? Does that mean-" Lime began.

Cyan shook their head, smiling softly. "Nope, we're not reconnected. I just found some old paperwork I want to sort through." 

"Fun," Pink said with a grin and a roll of her eyes. "Good luck, Cyan."

"I'm gonna need it," Cyan said, quickly leaving Cafe. She needed to connect the SIWB and fast, while White was still with Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support! I wish I could respond to every comment, haha :,) You're all too sweet


	13. Our Very Own Romeo and Juliet - Part One

"Grigori." 

When he heard her voice, Black looked up, setting down a heavy pair of pliers. He slipped off the thick, rubber gloves he wore and smiled. White's light and warmth illuminated Electrical. "What's up?" 

"Why did you _do to those people_?" 

Under his helmet, he blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "I didn't do anything...unless you mean getting Brown sent home." He approached White with open arms. "That's great news for us, love." 

White backed away from, shaking her head. "No, it's not. I knew you were involved in this imposter mess, but you told me-" 

"I told you the truth. Achilles Fax has things they need me to do," Black said, "So I do them. That's what loyalty is about. You understand loyalty, don't you, Lana?" 

She pulled the door to Electrical close behind her. "This is serious. Don't start threatening me." 

"I'm not threatening you. Don't be dramatic." 

White slipped her helmet off, holding it on her hip. Her cheeks were flushed red. Her nostrils stung with the cold, metallic scent of Electrical. Despite being the hub for the Skeld's lighting, Electrical was unnervingly dark. She didn't know how Black bared it. 

"When you said that Achilles Fax had you _remove competition_ , you suggested that those crewmates went peacefully," she began.

Black laughed, pulling off his own helmet. He set it down on top of a shelf and interrupted her: "Look, I did my best to give them mercy but-" 

"Lime said they were mangled!" 

Black shushed White, taking a step closer to her. "Lime should learn to keep her mouth shut then. I can teach her to if you'd like?" 

"Leave Tula alone," White said, her voice rising and cracking at the same time. Softer, she added, "Please." 

Black's hand came to caress her face, tracing her soft cheek with a calloused fingertip. "I don't have to hurt her. She's good," he said, "and she's your friend. I don't want to make you sad."

White smiled sadly, catching his wrist. "Black, Grigori, _baby_ ," she started shakily, "if that were true, you wouldn't kill at all. You would just listen to Homebase, not Achilles Fax." 

Black sighed and looked away, dropping his hand, though White kept holding onto him. "I do what I have to. I'm ensuring our future." 

"You mean your future?" White asked. "I don't want this. I don't want a future built on the blood of our own crewmates."

"Well, beggars can't be choosers." 

She stared at him. 

"That was a joke," Black said with a slight smile. "You're supposed to laugh." 

She kept staring before a laugh was choked out of her throat. "You never make jokes. Why choose to now?" 

"You looked like you needed a laugh." 

"Is this your attempt at being _sweet_?" White asked, gasping for air between broken laughs. It was hard to decide if she was laughing over the humor of Black's joke or if she was truly just losing it. Did she really love someone capable of mutilating another human? "Why now? Why pretend?" 

"It's not pretending. I really care for you. You know that," Black said. 

"I really don't know what I know anymore, Grigori. Why can't you just tell them the truth? Brown took the fall for you." 

"Who's to say that Brown wasn't from Achilles too?" 

White looked up at him. She'd hunched over during her mad laughing fit, arms hugged around her stomach as she shook. "What?" 

"I never told you I was the only imposter." 

"So Brown was a part of this? That makes no sense." 

Black just shrugged. "Nothing ever makes sense. I don't know what to tell you." 

"How about the truth?" 

He patted her head. "Don't think too much about it," he said. "I can't tell you the truth just yet. But maybe if you swore loyalty to Achilles Fax-"

White slapped his hand. "I'm not betraying my friends and Homebase." 

"Isn't it obvious that Homebase doesn't care about any of you? If you would just help me-" 

"Help you?" she demanded. "Help you how? Kill someone myself? Kill Yellow?" 

"Killing Yellow wouldn't accomplish anything," Black said sharply, "but what _would_ is swaying their trust. Get them to agree with us." 

"You mean agree with you. This is _you_ , Grigori!" 

"It could be us." He reached for her but she jerked away, so he dropped his hands. "Lana, I want this to be us! I don't want to have to hurt you, but Achilles Fax won't recognize you as safe unless you swear loyalty. They don't even know about us." 

"Why are you even with them? What can they give that Homebase can't? That _I_ can't?" 

"Protection," Black said, taking a small step away from her. He straightened up, reaching his full height. White shrunk away. 

"Protection from what?" When he was quiet, she felt tears sting her eyes. Why did she always cry? It seemed like everyone was so much stronger, so much better at holding back their emotions. Black, too, fell quiet. She looked up at him, her bleach-blonde hair hanging in her eyes. "Protection from what, Grigori?" she repeated. 

"It's something I can't tell you yet," he said, "but I promise I will when I get the chance." 

"I really don't understand this." 

"You don't have to. Understanding isn't your strong point." 

"That's mean..." 

"It's just teasing," Black said, pinching her on the nose. 

"That doesn't make it _not_ mean." 

Black walked away from her, going back to the box he'd been working on when she walked in. "Just go back to Weapons. There's nothing left for us to talk about," he said, as he pulled his gloves back on, "and you're interrupting my work."

White stared at him miserably. "You feel like a stranger." 

"What do you want me to do about that?" 

Her gazed lingered for a moment before she turned away. "I don't know. I guess there's nothing you can do." It felt like someone had struck her chest- perhaps Black with his wire cutting pliers- and stabbed her heart. It was such an odd feeling, that heavyweight in her chest causing pain to waft through her body and travel to her lungs, where they constricted, seeming to cut off her air supply. It was like her laughing fit earlier; unhinged, uncertain, and painful. 

She reached for the button near the door, but Black said, "Lana."  
White looked back at him, hopeful at the light tone in his voice. Would there be an explanation? An apology? If it was difficult to breathe a moment ago, it was impossible now. She was holding her breath.  
_What he says next will be the final straw. If he doesn't apologize or act like he wants me, then I'm done,_ she told herself. Her fist clenched at her side. _I swear to God, I'm done this time. If he doesn't tell me what I need to hear, I'll walk out and I won't look back._

"If you hear anyone else talking about Brown, just shut it down, 'kay? It's a little disrespectful," Black said, adding in a murmur, "I don't get why they turn everything into gossip. We're not grade-schoolers." 

Air slipped into her mouth and nose once again, painfully cold, and forced its way into her lungs, making her breathe. She didn't want to though. She really, really didn't want to. New tears were threatening to fall and again, she cursed herself for always crying. "Sure thing," she said with a weak smile. 

He smiled too. If there was one good thing, it was that. His smile, like spring, brightened Electrical and White's heart. It made her fall down, down, down, into some dark hole he probably liked to keep her in. In that hole, she was confused and blind, but at least she was his. It didn't matter if she annoyed him or got in his way because she was there, waiting patiently in that hole, for whenever he'd like to enjoy her again. She felt like some fixture in his life, like a lamp in the corner of his room, not a girlfriend. 

Again, she found herself begging silently, _Just let him say it. Prove me wrong. Say one good thing. Save tonight. Save_ us _. Just three words, just an apology, just an explanation- **anything at all.** I'm serious this time. I won't look back. I'll never ever, ever look back. _

The silence lasted too long. White's heart pounded. She was sure he could hear it. He put his helmet on, crouched down with the pliers in hand.  
"Bye, White," he said.

There was the rush of air again, just as painful as it was moments ago.  
"Bye, Black." 

She left Electrical and just like always, she looked back.

~~~  
On the floor of Communications, sat on the ground before the filing cabinet with an old, uncomfortable set of headphones on, Cyan clutched the coiled wire of the SIWB with clammy hands.  
"That bastard." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A doozy of a chapter! Sorry for the cliffhanger at the end :,)  
> Thank you all for the support!! <3
> 
> Keep your eye out for the Halloween special ;)


	14. Our Very Own Romeo and Juliet - Part Two

The SIWB was an odd device. The instruction manual in the box was caked in dust and ultimately ended up tossed aside as Cyan took to fiddling with the knobs and buttons of the SIWB. A faint beeping filled the attached headphones as they turned it on, flipping through channels until they heard White's voice. "This must be Electrical's channel," they murmured to themself, trying to focus on what they were hearing.

The SIWB seemed to be able to pick through hidden microphones in all the room, like a reverse speaker system or something of the sort. Cyan, despite their task, wasn't the most tech-savvy person. They weren't one to question how things worked and usually, they would've brought something like this up to Pink or Yellow, who both were pretty familiar with technology and the overall Skeld. However, fearing for their safety, they would have to keep this a secret. 

Listening to Black, they were overwhelmed with fear but caught between two thoughts. 

**1\. Black was an imposter, no doubt about it.**  
He'd admitted it, clear as day, right then and there. He'd admitted to killing the crewmembers of the previous SK41, or the original SK42. He'd even threatened Lime. He'd spoke of Achilles Fax and loyalty to it, begged White to join too. It made Cyan's skill crawl. For months, they'd been living in such close contact with the enemy, constantly at risk for something bad to happen. It was a wonder that more people weren't already dead. 

**2\. Black was _an absolutely terrible boyfriend_**  
Cyan had always done their best to defend Black. White loved him, spoke of him with a kind sparkle in her eyes and a blush on her cheeks. Cyan loved love. They loved seeing their friends happy in their relationships and after seeing their own parents split and go through love mishaps all throughout their childhood, Cyan knew that it wasn't always- for a lack of better words- black and white when it came to struggling relationships. There was usually something more there, something that kept the troubled couple together despite their obvious shortcomings. 

Hearing how Black spoke to White though...Cyan regretted their past defenses. If Black loved White, it wasn't in the right way. Even if it was the right way, how safe could she be with him? He was a liar, a traitor, a murderer- an _imposter._

What was it he said though...? _I don't want to make you sad._  
Cyan gave a crude chortle of laughter. It was obviously a bit late for that. It was just as White had said. If Black really did care if White was sad or not, he'd ditch Achilles Fax and stop putting White and all her friends, all of the crew, at risk. 

But all that was beside the point. Cyan couldn't let their feelings get in the way right now. Black was an Imposter. From what he said, it seemed like he was one of quite a few. Like little rats, Achilles Fax had planted the imposters on the crews and they hid now, burrowed deep within in the walls of the Skeld. Cyan glanced up, their eyes tracing the ceiling, lingering on the air vents. They shuddered, pushing the thought that a member of Achilles Fax might be watching from the vents right now. But was Brown really an imposter too? 

Cyan abruptly stood up, crossing the room to their desk. They yanked a notebook from the desk, ripped out the first two pages that had been used for notes, and on the first, blank page, wrote:

Yellow  
Red  
Green  
Blue  
Orange  
Purple  
Black  
Brown  
Cyan  
Pink  
Lime  
White 

They studied the list for a moment before adding, beside Brown's name, _'Ejected'_

They fell back into their chair with a sigh. It rolled across the room for a moment, while Cyan stared down at the list in their hands. "I don't think Brown was an imposter," they said thoughtfully. "Why would they expose themselves to me? Why would Black let a fellow imposter be ejected? It seems like he'd try to stop that, switch the blame onto someone else. They were so keen on getting rid of each other...they can't both be from Achilles Fax. Does that mean Black set Brown up?" 

Cyan thought for a moment more, then added next to Black's name _'Imposter. 100%'_

"Maybe he was just bluffing to White though, about there being more than one imposter," they continued. "Lime was with Black when they found the bodies, but no one else was nearby. Black must've killed PI-SK41-10, Y-SK41-1, and G-SK41-3 earlier that night, then left them dead by the time he and Lime went to their tasks. Could he have done that all so silently then snuck back alone?" They drummed their pen against the notebook. "Probably not. Black's only close to White and I guess he _tolerates_ Green and Red, but they both care too much about the Skeld to betray it like that. Obviously, it's not me or Yellow either, so that leaves..." 

Cyan added an _'S'_ beside their own name, then White, Red, Green, and Yellow's. "That leaves just five people he could be working with."

Yellow - S  
Red - S  
Green - S  
Blue  
Orange  
Purple  
Black - Imposter. 100%  
Brown - Ejected  
Cyan - S  
Pink  
Lime  
White - S 

There was a soft knock at the door. "Hey, Cyan?" White's voice called to them. "Are you busy?"

Cyan stared at the SIWB that still sat on the floor. "Uh, just one second, Lana!" They scrambled to the floor, frantically switching off the SIWB, uncoiling the wire of the headphones, and tucking it back in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet. Their rest of the contents of the cabinet and everything from the desk still covered the floor, but that was easier to explain than the SIWB. They shut the notebook and sat down in their chair, trying to look like everything was fine. 

"Come in!" 

The door slid open and White stepped in. "Hey, sorry to intrude, I just-" She stopped. Her eyes widened behind the dark tint of her helmet as she took in Communications. "What happened in here?" 

"Just a little reorganizing," they said. "What's up?" Cyan was sure she was about to say something about Black, but they couldn't start this conversation with _your boyfriend is the worst ever, please dump him._ No, they had to play it cool, even though their smile right now was far too large and much too nervous. 

"Just had an argument with Black," White said sadly. "I don't know why he can't just-" She cut herself off, letting out a frustrated groan. "He's just so stressful these days." 

"He's a grown man, Lana, not your pet puppy. He shouldn't be stressful at all," Cyan said, "and he isn't your problem to handle. If he's treating you so badly, why don't you just, ya know, leave him?" they suggested awkwardly. 

White shook her head, then pulled her helmet off. "I can't do that. I don't even want to do that. I really do love him, Pau, it's just that..." She leaned back against the wall, head thumping against it. "He's him, I'm me. Maybe we're not a perfect match." 

_Yeah,_ thought Cyan, _he's a killer. You're not._ But they just gave an encouraging smile. "Then take some time apart. I'm sure he'll understand." 

White looked at Cyan. Her dark eyes revealed some frightened emotion that would've confused Cyan, had they not overheard White and Black's conversation on the SIWB. What would happen if Black didn't understand? Would he take his frustration out on Lana? Would he not protect her from Achilles Fax if it came down to it? No one wanted to make an enemy of the man working with Achilles Fax. 

"Will he?" White asked. 

Cyan wasn't sure what to say. "Breakups are hard," they slowly said. "But if you do it the right way, maybe it won't be too bad?" 

"It's not even a breakup. It's just some time apart," White quickly corrected.

Cyan hoped it would be more than that, but just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, sure," they said. They paused, looked around Communications, then back to White. "Lana, I really hate to ask this if you're upset but-" 

White's face fell for a moment. Quickly, she masked the heartbroken expression, not fast enough that Cyan hadn't missed it and was already feeling the gut-wrenching pain of guilt. Normally, they would've invited White to stay for as long as she wanted, but they needed to get back to work- something they hadn't thought in a long time. How thrilling, exhilarating, it was to finally have something to work on again! They needed to cling to that motivation while it was still here and while they could maybe figure something out about the predicament at hand.  
"You want me to go?" White asked. 

"No, no, no! I really want you to stay-" That was true. "-But I have a lot of work right now. I don't want to bore you or drag you into it or something. Lime and I can come to your Cabin once we get off for the night?" 

"But Yellow said no more sleepovers..." 

Cyan threw White a wink. "I think we can break the rules just this once." 

White grinned. "Thank you, Cyan." With that, she left Communications, leaving Cyan to stare at their notebook and ask one thousand questions that couldn't be answered just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in updates! I've been working on the Halloween special that's much more of a guilty pleasure than an actual continuation of the story, haha  
> Hope you're all well!! <3


	15. Green and Red, Over The SIWB

How to describe the paranoia of not knowing who to trust...

How to describe the fear of knowing the enemy was just a few doors down, maybe closer? Living in the same space, sharing the same air, watching your friend love them...

It was an eerie terror that Cyan couldn't describe. It wasn't _thrilling_ by any means like they would've imagined fearing for their life to be. It was calm, it was waiting and wondering if something would happen, while all they could do is sit and wait in Communications for anything. 

They told themselves, _Don't do it, Pau. Anyone could walk in and see you, anyone could catch you. That person might be Black or one of the other imposters._ but curiosity always took over and Pau always, always, _always_ gave in and pulled the SIWB from its home in the filing cabinet and began to pick through channels. 

**Cabins:** Silent.  
**Locker Room:** Silent.  
**Storage:** Two deep voices. Green and Red.  
**Weapons:** White humming to herself.  
**Lower Engine:** The mechanical grumble of the engine, Lime talking to herself, laughing at something.  
**Security:** Pink talking to Purple over her walkie-talkie. Lots of giggling, lots of playful shushing.  
**Reactor:** Silent and empty ever since Brown was ejected.  
**Electrical:** The clank and crash of Black working on something. Good. At least Cyan knew where the monster was.  
**Upper Engine:** Purple taking to Pink over her walkie-talkie. Refer to notes on Security to hear how the little love birds are acting.  
**O2** : ...Silent.  
**Medbay** : The flipping of paper, Blue's thoughtful murmurs.  
**Admin** : Faint talking. Red and Green still. They must've left Storage while Cyan was flipping channels.  
**Sheilds** : Silent.  
**Navigation** : Yellow talking to herself about Homebase, about boring things. Nothing interesting. 

"Everyone's in their task room except Green and Red," Cyan said aloud. "They're together for whatever reason...Orange seems to be gone too. Where is she?" 

The flipping began again until Cyan reached Admin, where they paused. 

_"Let me get this straight," Green said, sitting down in the plastic chair tucked into Admin's corner, "you_ don't _think Brown is an imposter?"_

_Red shook his head. "Of course not. Brown's a dumbass. They wouldn't know how to go about sabotaging or killing off other crewmates. Until Black started accusing them, they'd always been so silent. A pushover. That doesn't seem like the type of person Achilles Fax would employ."_

_"What if it was all an act?"_

_"Couldn't have been. I've read Brown's Homebase files-"_

_Green frowned and interrupted, "That's not allowed."_

_"Whatever," Red said with a roll of his eyes. "If I have access to the files, I can read them. They weren't particularly amazing or awful in any category. Too smart to be faking it, too dumb to be a real imposter. They were just average. If Achilles Fax is just trying to bore all our information out of us or pick us off one by one by the complete lack of excitement then, yeah, they could've chosen Brown, but after all the other murders, I don't think it's them." Again, he shook his head. "Whoever the imposter is is smart. They can lie. I'm placing my bets on a lower-ranking crewmate."_

_"Why? I'm not disagreeing, lower-ranking seems obvious, but..._ why?" 

_"When they kill off those ranking above them, their rank goes up. You get in the top four ranks, you can have access to practically anything. Hell, we can walk into MedBay right now and request Blue give us medical records and he can't refuse because we're SK41-2 and SK41-3."_

__

__

_"Cyan, Pink, Lime, and White all got rank boosts by Brown being ejected," Green said. "I hadn't even thought about that yet. Our crew is short one person. Maybe Homebase will finally reconnect when they realize we're so vulnerable."_

__

_"I wouldn't count on it," Red scoffed. "They're a bunch of assholes. They don't care about us at all. I think they disconnected so we can rot and die up here, while they-"_

The channel disconnected, their voices replaced with static.  
"Crap!" Cyan slapped the SIWB, trying to get it to reconnect. They scowled when it didn't. "Junky old thing." They flipped to the next channel, still trying to find Orange, but she was nowhere to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, long time no see! This is just a quick, short update to jump back in and say hello.   
> I'm so sorry for the hiatus. Life has been crazy between school & other writing projects, plus I got a little out of Among Us for a while before remembering how much I enjoyed this story.   
> So grateful for those who read and supported this when I first started writing; I hope you'll still be able to enjoy this now, and I hope you've all been well! I don't know if I'll have a consistent update schedule because life is still pretty crazy, but I'll definitely try to get chapters out pretty regularly! 
> 
> Happy to be back! <3
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated!!! :D

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanwork :) I hope y'all like it! Thank you for reading <3


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